Balloons, Bolts and a Battle
by LTAOZFAN
Summary: Kim, Ron and Rufus accidentally boarded the TARDIS of the fourth Doctor Who, and they are all now seeking a second TARDIS that has been stolen. The thief is an Empath, from a planet named Empathios, and he is now roaming through Earth's history. He must be caught and stopped, before he disrupts history and makes Middleton and Bueno Nacho! vanish.
1. Chapter 1

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part One: Carry Me Back to Old Virginia**

**Author's Comments:** Here is the second story in my "Kim Possible / Doctor Who" story arc. When I first began thinking about this I thought it would be one story; now, I'm not sure just how many stories it will be!.

My thanks go to all those who read the previous story, "A Fair to Remember," and either reviewed it, offered comments, listed the tale as a Favorite Story, put it on Story Alert or sent me a private message about it: Anonymous, Cajun Bear73, Chris Barat, Harubibunny, Jimmy 1281, Joe Stoppingham, Mahler Avatar, Muzzlehatch, Old King Betsy, Scott Simerlein, Sharp the Writer, Stormchaser 90 and Steve Robinson.

Now, let's join Kim and the Fourth Doctor in the control room of the Doctor's TARDIS, Somewhere and Somewhen in history and time. They are in pursuit of an Empath (from the planet Empathios) who has stolen a TARDIS from the Time Lords and is roaming through Earth's history for some unknown purpose.

"Well, Doctor, have you figured out when and where this Empath is headed?" Kim

asked the tall figure of the Doctor, as he studied the control console.

"Unfortunately, Kimberly, all that we can do is follow the course of the stolen TARDIS

until it materializes. Then we'll materialize about ten minutes later in approximately the same

place."

"How close is 'approximately' going to be?" Kim wanted to know. "Alongside it? A

hundred yards away? Or fifteen miles?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Close enough to make it easy for us to reach it, but not so near

that we scare the thief into flight again." He looked at Kim with his usual grin. "I'll just leave

the details for the TARDIS to work out. Do a good job, now, old girl," the Doctor added, while

patting the console as if it were a puppy.

Kim rolled her eyes. For all his scientific knowledge and experience, at times the

Doctor seemed more like one of her younger brothers in the any-old-way he handled a

problem. Still, she had to admit that he seemed to be right almost every time.

"Ah, he's landing . . . somewhere in the eastern part of the state of Virginia," said the

Doctor. "Will you get Ronald and K-9, please, Kimberly? I believe we may be seeing some

action shortly."

Kim left the control room and went down the corridor a short distance, opened the door

to the room Ron was using, and found him sitting on the floor, sharing a piece of chocolate

cake with Rufus.

"Oh, hi, Kim. Say, you've gotta try a piece of this cake! K-9 gave me the receipe,

I made one in the galley, and it's almost as good as a naco!"

Rufus looked up from his perch on K-9's back and chirped, "Yup-yup!"

"If it's _that_ good, it must be great," Kim replied. "But how would you know a cake

recipe, K-9?"

"The Doctor had me record a file of recipes that he has collected over the years, and

I suggested that Master Ronald and Rufus would enjoy trying this one," K-9 answered.

"Unfortunately, I am incapable of doing the same," he added in a slightly wistful voice.

"Well, we're about to materialize so we can start hunting the Empath, and the Doctor

wants us all in the control room," said Kim. "Cake recipes will have to wait; it's mission time,

Ron."

There were only a few things that would get Ron Stoppable's mind off food, and one of

them was Kim saying 'mission time!' He bounced to his feet, scooped up Rufus and tucked

the mole rat in his special pocket with its fur liner. "Ready to go, KP!"

As they entered the control room, the central column on the console was still rising and

falling, but no sooner had Ron closed the door behind K-9 than the column stopped and the

Doctor spoke in a satisfied tone.

"Well, here we are."

"Yes, but where is 'here,' Doctor?" Kim inquired.

"Ten to twelve miles east by northeast from the city of Richmond, Virginia," the Doctor

replied. "I believe that the date is 29 May 1862."

"But that's during the Civil War!" Kim protested. She thought for a moment. "Richmond

was the capital of the Confederacy during the war. And in 1862 the Union Army was trying to

capture it."

The Doctor regarded Kim with obvious respect. "Your knowledge of the American

Civil War is remarkable, Kimberly."

Kim shrugged. "No big, Doctor. Last semester I did a report on the Peninsular

Campaign of 1862 for Mr. Barkin's history class."

"I see that you've both found clothes appropriate for the period," the Doctor went on,

scanning the shirts, trousers and sturdy shoes both teens were wearing. "Yes, wearing your

hair in a pony-tail is a good idea as well, Kimberly." He turned back to the console.

"Which army is here, just now?" Ron asked as he gazed at the controls. "Do you have

something in your computer that can tell us?"

"It has a vast library of facts and information, Ronald, but not even the memory banks

of a TARDIS can hold everything!"

Ron nodded. "Why not look on the 'net for a map that shows where the armies were

back then?" he asked.

"I can't consult the Internet, Ronald, because it won't exist for over a century," the

Doctor replied, with some amusement.

"Oh," said Ron, "so you can't read a map before its time, huh?"

The Doctor paused, and gave a sigh. "No. But we can take a look outside." He tapped

a control and the viewscreen lit up, but instead of open fields, a forest or a town, it showed the

inside of a rather small, dark wooden room.

"The TARDIS seems to have landed inside a building." The Doctor frowned. "That's a

bit on the odd side."

"It looks like the inside of a barn. A small one," Kim observed. "Come on, Ron, let's

take a look." She reached past the Doctor, moved a control on the console, and when nothing

happened, brought her fist down firmly on the panel.

The door promptly swung open, and Kim went out, followed by Ron. The Doctor

gave a sigh and muttered, "That girl needs some lessons in stealth and caution." Then he

glanced at K-9.

"If anyone besides us tries to enter, K-9, use your laser to stun them." He clapped on

his hat, and hurried after Kim and Ron.

Stepping outside the Doctor found his two companions and the TARDIS were taking up

nearly all the space in a simple wooden building equipped with racks, overhead hooks, and a

strong smoky smell.

"Whew! Whoever owns this place needs to put in some ventilators!" Ron remarked.

Rufus stuck his head out of his pocket, gave a choking snort and ducked back out of sight.

"It smells like a smokehouse to me," said the Doctor.

"Or a place to store smoked meats?" Kim pondered aloud. "But there's nothing

here now."

Ron tried the door, and found that it was locked from the outside. He poked and

prodded the metal casing that held the lock's mechanism and finally shook his head.

"No good, Kim. I don't think Rufus can even get into this thing."

The Doctor pulled a slim, silver-colored cylindrical device from one pocket and

said, "Allow me."

He knelt down and held one end of the device to the casing of the lock. To Kim it

looked something like an old-fashioned pocket telescope, about eight inches long, made up

of a thin tube that could slide into a slightly larger tube.

Slowly, the Doctor moved the object up and down the door where the lock was located

and then stopped. There was a faint humming and then a sharp 'CLICK.' The door opened at

a touch.

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor explained, upon seeing Kim and Ron's questioning

looks. "Handiest thing imaginable."

They cautiously opened the door and then stepped outside. A small cluster of trees

surrounded the smoke-house, but looking between the branches and tree-trunks they saw

some sort of a camp a short distance away. There were two covered wagons and two others

with square-built wooden bodies. A number of tents had been set up, and men were moving

about the area. But what immediately caught their attention was the large balloon that was

floating in the air above the camp, attached to four long ropes that were being tended by

groups of men on the ground.

Kim had noticed a feeling of moisture in the air as soon as they came out of the

smokehouse, and now a few drops of rain fell on her head.

"Somewhat risky, making an ascension in unsettled weather," the Doctor remarked.

"That balloonist must have a serious reason for going up at this time."

"KP, when you did that history report did you find out who used balloons in the Civil

War?"

"During the Peninsular Campaign both sides did, Ron. But mostly the Union," Kim

answered absently, as she watched the buoyant craft above them.

"Judging by that red-and-white striped cloth on the balloon basket I'd say that it's a

Union balloon," said the Doctor. "And look down there."

The Doctor pointed to one of the tents, out of which two men in blue uniforms had just

come. "Those appear to be Union officers," he said. "We'd better - "

"Hold it right thar, mistur! Who are yuh, an' what're yuh doin' sneakin' 'round here?"

Kim, Ron and the Doctor all looked in the direction of the voice and saw two soldiers in

blue uniforms covering them with a pair of long-barrelled muskets.

Kim and Ron both tensed, but the Doctor just nodded, and smiled happily.

"Yes, I'd say that we are definitely in Union-held territory."

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Yes, both Union and Confederate forces used balloons ― some hot-air but most gas-filled ― for observation during the Civil War. There was more ballooning by the Union during the conflict, but Confederate balloons were also active during the 1862 Peninsular Campaign.

Because of the use of balloons for observation by Union forces, as early as September 1861 Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard issued an order to his command that "every precaution [be] taken to prevent the enemy from discovering by balloons . . . the number of our advanced commands or outposts. No lights should be kept at night except where absolutely necessary, and then under such screens as may conceal the lights from observation." Although he didn't use the term, Beauregard had invented the 'blackout.'

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Two: Of Mole Rats and Men**

**Author's Comments:** It may look as if Kim, Ron, Rufus and the Doctor are on their way to jail as spies, but since this story is just getting started we can be sure they'll be all right . . . can't we? Read on and find out.

While Kim and Ron never used or even carried guns, they both knew what to do if they

were faced by someone with a gun: Don't Do Anything Sudden! The Doctor, however, had a

different approach, for he frowned and shook his head in dismay.

"Oh, no, no, _no! _You're doing it all _wrong!_" He looked at Kim and gestured at the two

soldiers.

"Just look at them, Kimberly: standing side-by-side so they can't move without getting in

each other's way, and making an easy target of themselves at the same time." He gave a

sigh. "The Brigadier would be shocked at the sight of it," he muttered.

Kim realized that the Doctor was defusing the situation, so she nodded and played

along.

"Yes, I see, Doctor. Do you think they remembered to load their weapons?"

"I can't say, but that one on the left has failed to cock his musket."

The soldier on the left glanced at his weapon, flushed slightly, and carefully pulled back

the hammer until it gave a 'click!' The other man frowned at him in annoyance.

"Maybe they're new recruits," Ron grimly observed. Loaded or not, he did _not_ like the

sight of somebody pointing a gun at Kim.

"Hey, we enlisted with the whole regiment over a year ago!" the soldier who had to cock

his musket protested, lowering his weapon's muzzle a bit as he spoke.

"That's right, an' we've been trainin' and drillin' ever since!" the second man added.

"But who are yuh, anyway, an' why're yuh watching the Professor's balloon?"

"We've just arrived in the area, and this camp was the first place we saw," the Doctor

replied. "Now, could you show us how to get to the person in charge here? We'd like to

introduce ourselves properly," he explained.

"Say, ain't you a girl?" the soldier on the left asked Kim, peering at her quizzically

and again lowering his musket. The second soldier also gave Kim a careful look and then

shook his head.

"Come on, Ben, we'd better take 'em to the sergeant," said the second soldier.

Ben, who had had to cock his musket, nodded in reply.

"You go ahead, mistur, an' don't do nuthin' funny!" the second man added, and he

gestured toward the camp with his musket. "These guns _is_ loaded, an' we know how to use

'em."

"Good! Glad to hear it," the Doctor remarked as he started down the slope with Kim

and Ron beside him. "After all, when people who _don't_ understand firearms carry them you

tend to get lots of accidents," he added to Kim.

The ground sloped down from the woods around the smokehouse to the tents and

wagons of the camp. As Kim, Ron and the Doctor walked down this slope the scattered

raindrops became more frequent, making Kim wish she had worn a coat over the shirt and

trousers she had on. The two soldiers directed them to a large tent that had a sort of roof over

the ground in front of it. Once they were all under the shelter of this 'roof,' the second soldier

called into the tent, "Sergeant of the Guard!"

A stocky, round-faced man with several stripes on his sleeve came out through the

tent flap and gazed at Kim, Ron, the Doctor and the two soldiers.

"What's this about, then, Private?" he asked, in a voice with a slight brogue.

"We found these civilians in the woods up there, watching the balloon, Sergeant."

The sergeant looked carefully at the Doctor, and then Ron, but his right eyebrow rose

in quizzical surprise when he looked at Kim. Then he turned back, opened the tent flap, and

spoke to someone inside.

"Captain, darlin', I think you should see what one of the pickets just brought in."

There was a muffled response, and the sergeant spoke again.

"Sort of strange locals, if you ask me, sir."

There was another response, and the sergeant stepped back from the tent flap. A

moment later a man in a Union Army captain's uniform stepped out. He was nearly as

tall as the Doctor, but with blond hair and a thick, drooping, mustache that gave him a slightly

walrus-like appearance.

"Well, who are you fellows, and why are you - " The officer stopped in mid-sentence

and he took a second, more careful look at Kim. "Miss? Why are you dressed that way?"

"This is better than a dress if you're hiking through the woods," Kim replied shortly.

"Especially in the rain," she added as a spatter of raindrops hit the tent. At the same time

there were shouts from the direction of the balloon's ground-crew, and they all turned to

see that the balloon was descending.

"It appears that Professor Lowe's coming down," the captain remarked. Then he

addressed the two soldiers.

"Very well, men; go back to your post." He acknowledged their salutes and then said,

"Sergeant, take these people into my tent."

The sergeant held the flap open for Kim, Ron and the Doctor, and then followed them

in. There was a portable desk and two folding chairs inside the tent, along with two folding

stools. A canvas partition cut off the back section, and Kim decided this must be both the

captain's living quarters and his office. The captain came in and directed Kim to take one

of the chairs while he used the other. Ron and the Doctor made use of the stools, while the

sergeant stood just inside the front of the tent. Once his guests were seated, the captain

scanned them again and said, "Now, just who are you people?"

"This is my niece, Kimberly, and her good friend Ronald; I'm usually called 'The

Doctor,' because of my scientific expertise."

"By your accent I'd say you're from England," the captain remarked. "Are you all

English?"

"No, Kimberly and Ronald are from Canada. I'm a scientific advisor for a British War

Office unit that has been investigating new developments in technology and their possible

effects on warfare," the Doctor stated. "The Brigadier told me to go to America and look into

the use of balloons for military observation and reconnaissance. My niece and her friend had

been visiting me in London, and the Brigadier arranged passage for all three of us so they

could return home while I gathered facts. We only arrived a short time ago."

"We'd heard that Thaddeus Lowe was operating balloons with the Union Army, and my

'uncle' wanted to meet him," Kim added helpfully. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but said

nothing. "We've been trying to find him, and that's why we're here," Kim went on.

"Even so you shouldn't be wandering around behind our lines without permission." At

the captain's words, the Doctor dug into one of the many pockets on his coat and pulled out a

large envelope.

"Oh, we have permission! Here's a letter of introduction from the Brigadier." He

handed the envelope to the officer, who opened it, pulled out and unfolded a sheet of paper.

After reading it carefully the captain looked up with a slight frown.

"Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart seems to think highly of you, Doctor. But you really

should have a pass from Union authorities, too."

The Doctor brought out a second envelope and gave it to the captain. "This is from

Mr. Stanton, your Secretary of War." He pulled out a third envelope, adding, "And this is

from President Lincoln."

After reading the second and third letters the Captain regarded them all with obvious

respect.

"Well, Doctor, I might argue over this letter from your brigadier, but this pass from

the Secretary of War and this letter from the President are more than sufficent." He put the

sheets back in their envelopes and handed them back to the Doctor.

_How did the Doctor manage to have those papers all ready in his pocket? _Kim

wondered.

There was a sudden whistle above the tent, as if an artillery shell had sailed overhead,

followed by a dull, muffled CRUMP sound in the distance.

"Yikes! What was that?" Ron yelped.

"The Rebs on t'other side o' the Chickahominy," the sergeant answered, in a very

offhand manner. "They've got a Whitworth gun over there and they've been taking shots at

the Professor's balloon with it every so often."

"Hey, is it _safe_ to be sitting here with that thing shooting at us?" Ron asked nervously.

"Sure, an' there's no need to worry, lad," said the sergeant. "They elevate that gun to

shoot at the balloon, and when they miss the bolt just keeps goin' for a fair piece." The

sergeant shook his head and grinned. "They haven't hit a thing with that gun yet."

Ron glanced up at the canvas roof of the tent. It might keep the rain off, but artillery

shells were something else!

"Sergeant, when Professor Lowe has landed, tell him that there's someone here he

ought to meet," said the captain.

"Yes, sir! I'll go right away, Captain." The sergeant turned and left the tent as Kim

addressed the officer.

"Pardon me for asking this, Captain, but, what is your name?"

"Oh! I've forgotten my manners, haven't I? I'm James Lawrence, Captain, United

States Volunteers, Miss . . ." As he hesitated, Kim realized the Doctor had never mentioned

the two teens' last names.

"Kimberly Ann Possible," she said. "This is Ronald Stoppable." Just then there was a

faint squeak that sounded somewhat like a yawn, and a small, pink head came out of a pocket

on Ron's trousers.

"And that's Rufus," Kim added hastily. "He's a naked mole rat."

"A mole . . rat, did you say?" Captain Lawrence frowned as he gazed at Rufus, who

had quickly climbed to Ron's right shoulder. "I've never seen a rat like that before."

Rufus gave an indignant squeak and sat up, front paws at his waist (more or less). The

Doctor chuckled, extended a hand and asked, "Ronald, may I hold him?"

Ron put Rufus in the Doctor's hand and the Time Lord placed the mole rat on the table

in front of Captain Lawrence.

"Not a rat, Captain. While Rufus _is_ a rodent, rats and mice are of the suborder of

Myomorpha, while the naked mole rat, or sand puppy, is of the suborder Hystricomorpha. The

species is the Heterocephalus Glaber."

As the Doctor spoke, Rufus looked surprised for a moment, and then sat up straight

with an expression of pride as the Doctor continued his explanation.

"They live underground in large colonies, and because they're rodents that dig burrows

a naturalist called them 'mole rats.' But as you see, Rufus doesn't have a thin, scaly tail like

a rat or mouse. Please turn around, Rufus." The Doctor made a circling motion with one

hand, and Rufus promptly obliged by turning around so the Captain could get a good look at

him

"Thank you." The Doctor nodded, and Rufus politely nodded in return.

"My Dad is allergic to animal hair," Ron explained, "so when I asked my folks if I could

have a pet they said I had to get one that was hairless."

"He seems to be very smart," the captain remarked with a smile.

"Oh, he is!" said Kim. "Rufus is a sharp little guy. And he's sensitive, too," she added

in a stage whisper. "If you insult him or Ron, Rufus gets upset."

Just then a murmur of voices was heard outside the tent, and the sergeant stuck his

head through the flap.

"The Professor is here, sir."

"Show him in, Sergeant," Captain Lawrence replied, and a moment later a man in a dull

rusty-brown colored coat and a wide-brimmed dark hat, with dark hair and a bushy mustache

walked in

Captain Lawrence gestured toward the newcomer. "Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable,

Doctor, may I present Professor Thaddeus Lowe, Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army Balloon

Corps."

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

The Whitworth 12-pounder field gun was made in England and a number of them were imported by the Confederacy during the Civil War. It was highly accurate and had a greater range than the standard smooth-bore 12-pounder field gun, but the Whitworth could not be elevated enough to shoot at a balloon that was riding high in the air. The gunners had to see their target in order to aim at it, and if the balloon rose quickly it would be too high to shoot at before the gun could be loaded and pointed. As a result balloons were generally shot at only when they were being slowly pulled down after an ascension.

During the nineteenth century balloon flights became very commonplace, and highly popular at special events and celebrations. American balloonists were generally given the title of 'professor' as a courtesy. .

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	3. Chapter 3

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Three: Almost the Eve of Battle**

**Author's Comments:** My thanks to those who have offered comments, sent private messages and put this tale on story alert: Cajun Bear73, The Eye of the Oncoming Storm, Mahler Avatar and Muzzlehatch. Those of you who have read but not commented, please feel free to do so; I do not bite.

The captain introduced his three visitors to Lowe who glanced at the Doctor, Kim and

Ron, hesitating slightly when he looked at Kim. Then he spoke directly to Captain Lawrence.

.

"Doctor, you said, Captain? Of medicine, sir?" he added to the Doctor.

"Of science in all its forms, Mr. Lowe. I've answered to 'Doctor' so often that I go by

that, now."

"His close friends call him 'Theet,'" Ron said helpfully.

"_Thank_ you, Ronald, but we don't have to go into that now."

Kim thought that the Doctor seemed a bit embarassed by Ron's announcement. She

managed to hide a smile. The Ron Factor was never very far away!

Captain Lawrence quickly outlined the reasons for the Doctor, Kim and Ron being

there. Lowe scanned the three introductory letters, handed them back and paused in thought

for a moment.

"Captain Beaumont of the Royal Engineers has been here several times, Doctor. He's

attached to General McClellan's staff as an observer. Do you know him?"

Mentally, Kim came to the 'alert.' What if this was somebody the Doctor ought to know,

but didn't?

"No," the Doctor shook his head. "Most of my contact with English ballooning has

been through Henry Coxwell. He suggested that I contact you when I reached America."

Lowe nodded in a way that suggested to Kim that Henry Coxwell was a balloonist of

importance.

"At the moment I have a report on my observations to send to General McClellan.

Once I've done that I'd like to sit down with you, Doctor, and discuss things. Could we put

them up in the guest tent for a while, Captain?"

"Guest tent? Do you get a lot of visitors, Professor?" Kim asked.

"Yes, Miss Possible. Far too many people think of my balloons as amusements and

novelties instead of as military observation craft." Lowe gave a sigh. "So many people were

showing up, insisting that they had a genuine need to make a balloon ascension that last week

I asked General McClellan to help control it."

Captain Lawrence added, "The general issued an order that any officer who wishes to

make a flight must get his authorization first."

Lowe grinned at the captain. "Yes, and it has helped a lot."

"But, to answer your question, Professor, I'm sure we can accomodate these visitors,"

Captain Lawrence went on, rising to his feet. "Sergeant! Get these people settled in the

guest tent."

"Yes, sir. Right this way, Miss Possible, gentlemen." He held the tent flap open, and

as they left the captain's tent Kim noticed that the rain had stopped.

The guest tent was only a short walk from the Captain Lawrence's. Kim, Ron and the

Doctor found it had a rough wooden floor, just like captain's, and contained four cots, a small

table and three folding chairs along with an oil lamp. The sergeant remarked that it looked like

more rain was coming and suggested that they wait inside for Professor Lowe's return from

the telegraph station.

Then he remarked, "Dinner won't be ready for a couple of hours, at least. I can get you

some coffee and hardtack in the meantime, if you like."

Kim had found that the TARDIS could only provide tea, and the thought of a good cup

of coffee was very tempting. "Yes, Sergeant, we'd like that. Please and thank you," she

added.

The sergeant smiled, turned and left, while Kim, Ron and the Doctor sat down around

the table for a short conference.

"Doctor, how are we going to find the Empath?" Kim asked at once.

"With this tracer, Kimberly." He took a short, gray rod out of one pocket and handed it

to Kim. It was about five inches long, one inch in diameter, and had a white streak on one

side.

"It will detect the stolen TARDIS if it's within three kilometers," the Doctor explained.

"You push the brown spot . . . that's it . . . and it gives a visual readout of the range on that

white streak."

"How do you know what direction it is?" Ron asked.

"The readout will blink so long as you are not pointing it exactly at the TARDIS, and will

become steady when it is aimed correctly." He took out his sonic screwdriver and made some

adjustments to it.

"You carry the tracer, Kimberly, and I'll use this. It will do the same thing, but it has a

greater range. About thirty kilometers," the Doctor explained. He swung the sonic screwdriver

about, then stopped . "It's in that direction, at seven kilometers. That's just under seven

thousand seven hundred yards."

Kim did some mental arithmetic. "That's almost four and a half miles." She frowned

ar the Time Lord in annoyance. "I thought you said we'd land close enough so it was easy to

reach!"

"Oh, the TARDIS always knows what she's doing," the Doctor lightly replied.

"What if we get lost?" Kim asked. "How do we find your TARDIS again?"

"Tap the spot quickly, twice, and it switches to 'homing' mode. Give it a try," he added

Kim tapped the spot as directed, and the number '850' began blinking on the tracer.

She swung it around until the figures glowed steadily, and then went to the tent flap to look out

in the direction indicated. The tracer was pointing directly at the small woods where the

smokehouse stood.

"So, your TARDIS is that way," Kim said as she pointed the tracer. "And which way is

the stolen one again?"

The Doctor shifted the sonic screwdriver a bit and then pointed at the back wall of the

tent. "That way."

Kim nodded thoughtfully, went back to her chair and sat down. Before anyone could

speak, a voice came to them from outside the entrance flap of the tent.

"Here's your coffee, Doctor."

"Come right in, sir," Kim answered, and the sergeant entered the tent. He had a small

iron pot of the steaming dark liquid, and a basket filled with things that looked like large brown

crackers, three tin cups and a small tin can.

"Careful, now, it's hot!" he said as he set the pot on the ground and the basket on the

table. "The hardtack is a good batch, for once," he added, "and I fetched you a can of

that 'condensed milk' that the sutler sells." Kim and the Doctor both thanked him and the

sergeant left.

Kim took a dipper from the basket, filled three cups and set them to cool off a bit. Ron

gave one of the 'crackers' to Rufus and took another himself. But when he tried to break it in

half, he couldn't!

"This stuff is tough as wood!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "You think these might be for

horses, Doctor?"

Rufus easily bit a piece from his 'cracker' and chewed it for a moment. Then the mole

rat made a face and spat out the bits, saying "Bleah!" at the same time.

"It should be hard, considering how it's made," the Doctor explained. "Hardtack is just

flour, a pinch of salt and a little water to make a stiff dough. Then that's baked very hard and

dry so it will keep for months . . . when properly stored, of course."

Kim tapped the tabletop with a piece of hardtack. She flinched at the dull 'clunk' sound

it made, and carefully put it back in the basket. "I think I'll wait until dinner."

"Here, let me see if I can do something with it . . . " The Doctor had taken out his sonic

screwdriver again and made some adjustments to it. He took a piece of hardtack from the

basket and began passing the end of the device over the hard, brown substance while a faint

beeping noise was heard. After about thirty seconds the Doctor handed the hardtack to her,

and Kim realized that it was softer and thicker, and could now be broken into pieces quite

easily.

The Doctor treated the piece Rufus had tried, and then the piece that Ron was holding.

"That should do it. See if you like now, Rufus." The Doctor made a 'try it, you'll like it'

gesture.

Rather skeptically the mole rat nibbled the hardtack, paused in surprise, and then

began eating with gusto. Kim and Ron watched Rufus for a moment, looked at each other,

shrugged, and tried their pieces too.

"It's . . . good! Okay, dude, how did you do that?" Ron demanded. "Does that thingy

tenderize foods or something?"

"I just injected atmospheric moisture into it. Hardtack is fairly nutritious, if a bit short on

vitamins. Oh, be careful about that coffee, Kimberly! It may be rather strong," the Doctor

quickly warned.

Kim took a sip from her cup, and her eyes widened in surprise. The coffee was black,

hot and had a kick like her Uncle Slim's robot horse! She coughed, cleared her throat, and

croaked, "You're not kidding. This stuff is **strong!** How do they make it, anyway?" She gazed

at the tin cup as if she expected the liquid to form into a tentacle, reach out and try to pull her

in.

"Ground-up fresh coffee beans in a large metal can full of water, and then boiled." The

Doctor shrugged. "Add some of that condensed milk to it; that should make it easier for you

to drink."

Kim followed the Doctor's advice, and after stirring in the milk and sipping again,

pronounced the Union Army-style coffee to be, "Not bad." Then they all heard another voice

from outside the tent.

"May I come in, Doctor?" It was Professor Lowe, Kim realized.

"Yes, come in, sir!" the Time Lord answered, and Professor Lowe stepped into the tent.

A moment later they all heard the patter of rain on the canvas roof.

"Rain again," Lowe remarked with a sigh. "We've had more than enough of that, lately."

"Ron, let Mister Lowe have a seat," Kim urged. Ron quickly shifted to one of the cots,

and Lowe sat down.

"Thank you. I hope that you and your friends will be comfortable, Doctor," Lowe went

on. "We've been here over a week, and conditions are fairly good, all things considered."

"Oh, we're quite comfortable, sir. Aren't we, Ronald . . . Kimberly?"

"Yes, Mister Lowe, everything is fine," said Kim. "But we were wondering just how

close the Confederate Army is from here."

"Well, let me show you." Lowe took a folded map from his coat pocket and spread it

out on the table. "Right now you are here, at Gaines' Mill, Richmond is here, about seven

miles away, and the southern forces are there, on the other side of the Chickahominy River

between us and Richmond." As Lowe pointed Kim and the Doctor studied the map closely.

"What if the Confederates attack across the river?" Kim asked carefully. She mentally

checked her class report. What had happened at the end of May, 1862?

"Yeah, is Kim . . . I mean, are we in any danger, here?" Ron had come over from the

cot and now stood behind Kim, looking down at the map.

"Not a bit, lad. The rain we've had in the past fortnight has brought the river to the

flood stage," Lowe answered. "All this low land along both sides of the river is now more like

a swamp, and most of the regular bridges are down. They've either been destroyed by the

Rebels or washed away by the current."

"You say most of the 'regular bridges' are down?" Kim asked. "Are there others?"

"Yes. The army has put in almost a dozen new ones so that the Federal forces

on the south bank have communication with the bulk of the army on the north bank," Lowe

answered, pointing at the map. "From Bottom's Bridge, downstream here, up to

Mechanicsville; at this point." He drew his finger along the course of the river as he

explained. "And all are guarded by Federal troops on both banks."

The Doctor frowned. "A bit risky, having a river between two parts of an army. Even

with plenty of bridges." He looked up at Lowe. "Is that why you were aloft in such inclement

weather, Professor?"

"Yes. And I'm glad I made that ascension, Doctor, for I saw unusually heavy Rebel

activity on the far bank. I trust that the forces of General Keyes' Fourth Corps, here at Seven

Pines, are prepared for a possible attack." As he spoke, Lowe tapped the map again and

Kim frowned in her 'mission mode' manner. She put a finger on the map.

"So, we're right here, and some of the Union Army is across the river in _this_ direction?"

"Correct, Miss. You seem to understand maps very well."

"Hey, dude, she's Kim Possible! She can do anything!" Ron exclaimed, but Kim hardly

noticed. She was mulling over what the Doctor had said about the location and distance to the

stolen TARDIS. To her it looked very much as if it was across the river near the spot marked

'Fair Oaks.' _And the Battle of Fair Oaks will happen on May 31st_, Kim remembered. _In just_

_two days!_

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Kim and Ron met a close friend of the Doctor's named Drax, who is another Time Lord, in the previous story, "A Fair to Remember." At that time Ron heard Drax call the Doctor 'Theet,' which is short for Theta Sigma. But he much prefers to be called 'Doctor.'

As far as I've been able to determine, the weather conditions in late May 1862, the troop locations and the geography of the area southeast of Richmond, Virginia, are accurate as described.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Four: This Is Not the Army, Mister Stoppable**

**Author's Comments:** So, Kim, Ron, Rufus and the Doctor are about two miles from the location of a Civil War battle in 1862 Virginia, and the stolen TARDIS they are hunting for appears to be right where the battle will take place in two more days. Not the best sitch to be in, is it? Let's see what this new chapter brings

Lowe looked up from the map. "I believe you said that you know Henry Coxwell,

Doctor?"

"Oh, of course," the Doctor replied. "Henry has been after the War Office for years,

trying to get them to adopt balloons for military purposes. That's why the Brigadier sent me

to America, to see what you and your associates are up to."

"I understand Mister Coxwell has advocated dropping explosive-filled shells from

balloons onto enemy camps. He gave a demonstration of it in 1849, I believe." At the

Professor's words Kim's mind snapped to attention. This was something she hadn't found

out in preparing her report.

"Yes. It was very impressive, but not really an effective weapon," the Doctor answered.

"The problem in getting over the right target before dropping something is considerable.

Observation from a tethered balloon is simpler and more practical at the present time."

Lowe glanced at Kim and Ron. "But perhaps we should continue this in my tent,

Doctor. That way your friends won't be bored by our technical discussion."

The Doctor gave Kim and Ron each a careful look before he answered.

"Certainly." Then he added to the two teens, "So long as you two can stay out of

trouble for a few hours."

"Oh, don't worry, 'Uncle,'" said Kim, in an innocent manner. "We'll just stay here, and

look around the camp. If that would be all right," she added to Lowe.

"Why, yes, Miss Possible. But you'd better have someone with you, in case any

sentries ask questions." He frowned in thought for a moment. "I know just the fellow. Wait

here a moment."

Lowe stood up and quickly left the tent, and the Doctor sternly frowned at Kim and Ron.

"I'm serious, Kimberly. You and Ronald have a proclivity of rushing headlong into

danger which I find somewhat unsettling." He dug into a coat pocket, drew out two envelopes,

and handed one to each of them.

"Here are passports in your names, showing you as Canadians who have legally

entered the country and passes from the American War Department to allow you to be in

a military zone. They should be enough to keep you out of prison."

Before Kim could ask how the Doctor happened to have these documents already

prepared, Professor Lowe returned with a small boy. Lowe introduced the boy as Oscar

Diggs, a general apprentice in the balloon crew. "He can show you around the camp and

answer any questions you might have."

"Thank you, Professor." Kim's heart sank. Oscar was about the size of her two

brothers, and he looked just as alert and mischievous as either of them. How could she and

Ron discuss the sitch with someone like one of the 'Tweebs' around?

The Doctor nodded smugly, turned and followed Lowe out of the tent, while Kim and

Ron exchanged a glance.

"Say! What's that thing?" Oscar exclaimed, pointing at the table, where Rufus was

just finishing off his piece of hardtack.

"That's Rufus, my naked mole rat," Ron explained. He picked Rufus up and showed

him to the boy, who started asking a series of rapid-fire questions: "Where does it come from?

What does it eat? Does it bite?"

"Whoa! Wait a sec! Rufus is a very sensitive little guy, and the word is 'he,' not 'it!'"

Ron protested. "Rufus, this is Oscar."

Rufus waved a paw and chirped, "Hi!"

Oscar smiled and waved back at the mole rat. Then he looked at Kim.

"I can show you around the camp, if you like. The rain has stopped, and it looks as if

it'll stay stopped for a couple of hours, now."

"Let's do that, KP. We can see where things are around here."

"Good idea, Ron," Kim answered. _The more we know about this place_, she thought_, the_

_easier it will be to sneak out if we have to._

Ron tucked Rufus into his regular pocket and followed Kim and Oscar out of the tent.

Once outside they paused for a moment, and Ron turned to Oscar with a question.

"Say, dude, aren't you pretty young to be in the Army?"

The boy bristled. "So I'm short for age twelve! That doesn't mean I can't be in the

Balloon Corps. Anyway, we're not in the Army."

"That's right, Ron," Kim explained. "The Balloon Corps is a civilian group, not a military

one."

Both Ron and Rufus looked slightly puzzled, but before Ron could unwittingly mention

the U. S. Air Force, which wouldn't exist for another 85 years, Kim said, "Well, Oscar what do

you think we should see first?"

The boy frowned in thought for a moment, then pointed at the balloon that was standing

about a hundred yards away from the tent.

"Well, that's the balloon _Constitution_," he began. "The Professor has been using that

one today. There's another one, the _Intrepid_, that's bigger, but it's been deflated for some

repairs just now."

"Where do you get the gas to fill them?" Ron asked with obvious interest. "From the

local gas works?"

"Oh, we make the gas ourselves," Oscar answered proudly. "See those two box-

wagons over there?" He pointed at a pair of wagons with wooden sides, ends and a top that

were parked near the balloon. Kim estimated that the boxes were about ten to twelve feet

long, five feet high and four feet wide.

"We put pieces of iron in those, add acid to it, and it makes this 'hy-dro-gin' gas that

the Professor uses in his balloons," Oscar went on. "He invented it all by himself!"

"Neat idea," Ron enthused.

"You seem to like Professor Lowe," Kim remarked.

"I sure do! He hired me so's I could get into this war without being a soldier or a sailor,

and I get to learn all about balloons and flying them, too." Oscar lowered his voice, and in a

confidential tone, added, "My mother had me promise not to join the Army or the Navy, but this

way I can still help save the Union!"

Kim nodded. One of the things she had learned while doing her report for Mr. Barkin's

history class was that a lot of people in the northern states had felt that the war was a crusade

to keep the United States from breaking up.

"Even though you're not in the Army, dude, you still get shot at, don't you?" Ron waved

a hand at the balloon as he spoke. "I mean, the Confederates shoot at the balloon every so

often. Don't the shells fall on this camp?"

"Naw, they always overshoot," the boy replied. "See, we're too far away from the Rebs

for their muskets and cannons to reach us, except for that one rifled gun they've got south o'

the Chickahominy. And when they shoot that at the Professor's balloon they always miss,

and the bolt goes flying way past the camp."

"Don't the shells explode near the balloon?" Ron continued.

"They don't use shells," Oscar explained. "They shoot a long, thin piece o' solid iron

that's shaped to fit the gun, and it spins this 'bolt' so's it'll fly straight." He pointed at some

trees to the south, beyond the moored balloon.

"Those trees on that high ground hide this camp and the balloon, when it's pulled down.

When the balloon goes up the Rebs can't get their gun ready before it's too high to hit, so they

wait 'till the Professor's comin' down." The boy grinned at Kim.

"But a balloon is real hard to hit at two miles' range, and they haven't even nicked

it yet!" Oscar gave a satisfied nod, and then winked at Rufus, who gave a 'thumbs up' in

response.

"We're only a few miles from Richmond, aren't we?" Kim asked.

"Pretty close. But the balloon we've got up at Mechanicsville is closer. There's a clock

tower in Richmond and from that balloon you can tell the time by that clock." Oscar shrugged,

and went on, "At least you can when the weather's clear."

"Have you been up in that balloon, Oscar?"

At Kim's question the boy shrugged again. "Nope. But that's what the Professor has

told me."

While talking the three had kept walking, and were near the edge of the camp area

when a man in civilian clothes came up to them. He glanced at Kim for a moment, then asked

Ron, "Boy, kin you tell me where Perfesser Lowe is?"

"You better ask him," Ron pointed to Oscar, "I'm just a visitor here, myself."

"That's the Professor's tent, mister," Oscar said, pointing to where the Doctor had just

come out of a tent about twenty feet away. "Where that man with the long scarf is."

"Thanks." The man took a step forward, pulled a revolver from inside his coat, aimed

at the Doctor, thumbed back the hammer, and fired!

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Henry Coxwell (March 2, 1819 - January 5, 1900) was one of the most renowned British balloonists of the 19th century. He made his first balloon ascent in 1844, and in 1848-49 he demonstrated bomb-dropping from the balloon _Sylph_ at Berlin. In the summer of 1862 Coxwell made three ascents with James Glaisher (1809 - 1903) to very high altitudes from Wolverhampton, England. On the third flight (September 5, 1862) the balloon reached an estimated altitude of 30,000 feet. In 1863 Coxwell supplied a balloon and equipment for demonstrations of balloon ascents for military reconnaissance purposes to the British Army.

The12-pounder Whitworth rifled cannon, made in England, was imported by the Confederacy and used for long-range fire during the Civil War. At that time to aim any cannon correctly the gunners had to clearly see their target, but when any cannon was fired it moved backwards and the line of aiming was lost. Since gun carriages only allowed about five degrees of elevation, when a Union balloon was six hundred feet above the ground and two miles away from it, a gun could not be elevated enough to shoot directly at the balloon. Therefore, Confederate gunners had to wait until the ballloon went up, then aim the gun, and could only open fire as it was pulled down.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Five: Lay That Pistol Down!**

**Author's Comments:** Here's a pretty how-de-do! Someone has just shot at the Doctor. If he is seriously hurt, Kim, Ron and Rufus may be stuck in the middle of the U. S. Civil War, unless Kim can figure out how to operate the Doctor's TARDIS. Just who is the gunman and why would he want to shoot the Doctor? Let's see what this new chapter tells us

Kim's spin-kick had started even before the stranger fired his revolver, and her foot

knocked the gun from the man's hand before he could fire a second shot. Ron dove at the

man's legs and knocked him down two seconds later, while Rufus leaped from his pocket to

the man's chest, swarmed up to his head and took a piece from the right ear lobe in one swift

bite!

The man howled in pain, Oscar yelled for the Sergeant of the Guard, and there was a

rush of both Balloon Corps men and soldiers to subdue the gunman. He rolled away from

Ron, knocked Rufus away from his ear and scrambled to his feet, facing Kim. She wasted no

time in giving the gunman a brief ― but highly effective! ― demonstration of Kung Fu, and

then stepped back to let the sergeant and two Balloon Corps men tie him up. He was in no

condition to argue about it.

As soon as the sergeant and Balloon Corps men had the gunman secure, Kim ran to

the large tent with Ron close behind her. The Doctor was lying there, flat on his back, and

gazing skyward in a thoughtful manner.

"Doctor! Are you all right?" Kim shouted as she dropped to her knees beside the Time

Lord. For a moment there was no response, and then he looked directly at Kim and spoke in

a very calm voice.

"Why, yes, Kimberly, I believe that I'm all right. No serious damage, I think. How are

you?"

"Dude, there's a hole in your coat," Ron observed nervously, pointing at the Doctor's

lower left side.

The Doctor sat up, felt inside his left pocket, and then pulled out some broken pieces

of wood and string. He frowned in annoyance.

"Just look at this! That bullet smashed my yo-yo." He looked directly at Rufus who had

returned to Ron's left shoulder.

"I was fond of that yo-yo. It's an excellent device for relaxing the nerves in a tense

situation when there's nothing to be done for some time."

. Kim felt a mixture of relief and exasperation.

"Suppose it had missed the yo-yo? And where is the bullet, anyway?" she demanded.

"Stuck in something else, I presume . . . oh, now that _is_ a shame!" He pulled a small

book bound in light green cloth from the pocket and held it up for Kim, Ron and Rufus to see.

A hole in one side was matched by a slight bulge on the other.

"After smashing my yo-yo, the bullet buried itself in this book. An autographed copy

of _The Bowmen of England_, by Donald Featherstone, absolutely ruined! Oh, I want to have

words with that fellow!" He opened the book and the two teens could see that the bullet had

punched through the back cover and all the pages, only stopping when it reached the front

cover.

Captain Lawrence had quickly come from his tent when he heard the shot, and

questioned the sergeant and Oscar while Kim and Ron were speaking with the Doctor. The

officer now walked over to them with the gunman in tow, his arms tied behind him and two

soldiers holding him tightly.

"Who is he, Captain?" Kim asked, "and why did he try to shoot the Doctor?"

"Doctor, perfesser, whatever yuh call 'im!" the gunman raged. "Him an' his dang

balloons, always spyin' on our boys!. They can't move without bein' spotted! That's why I

came to find him an' stop you Yankees!"

"So, you came here to try and shoot Professor Lowe? Very underhanded, I'd say,"

Captain Lawrence grimly remarked.

"But he's not Professor Lowe!" Kim protested.

"Of course not," said Lowe firmly, stepping forward to look directly at the gunman. "I'm

Thaddeus Lowe, and you, sir, are an assassin and a fool!"

"You . . . him . . . he ain't you?" The man seemed to be totally confused as he stared

first at Lowe and then down at the Doctor..

"No, I'm not," the Time Lord answered sharply. "In the future, if you plan on shooting

someone you should remember that it's good manners to identify your target correctly before

opening fire." Kim rolled her eyes and Rufus gave a chirp of astonishment at the Doctor's

remarks.

"Here's his pistol, Captain," said the sergeant as he joined the small group. "It's a Colt

revolver. I've taken the caps off the cylinders so it's safe to handle."

"Let me see that . . . " The Doctor reached up and took the pistol from the sergeant's

hand, and examined it in an expert fashion. "Ah, a Model 1849 Pocket Revolver with a four-

inch barrel," he remarked as he turned the gun in his hands. "Easy to conceal but since it's a

31-caliber weapon it lacks the hitting power of the larger 44-caliber model." The Time Lord

drew the bullets from the remaining chambers of the cylinder. "Powder seems a bit damp . . .

well, black powder _is_ fairly hygroscopic."

"What does that mean?" Ron asked the sergeant in a bewildered voice.

"Oh, 'tis simple, me lad. This pistol uses a smaller bullet than the standard Army

Model, an' the loose powder in the chambers loses its ginger when it gets wet."

"If there's any moisture in the air gunpowder will soak it up, fast," Kim explained to Ron.

"That's why that book in your coat stopped the bullet, I suppose," she added to the Doctor.

"Yes, the book stopped the bullet, and spread out the impact, but I think I'll have a nice

bruise in a few hours," the Time Lord remarked. He handed the pistol back to the Sergeant,

stood up, took an experimental step, and winced. "I may be lame for a bit, as well."

As the Doctor tried a couple more steps, Kim could see that while the gunman hadn't

seriously hurt him, he _had_ slowed the Time Lord down considerably.

"Perhaps you should lie down in the guest tent until dinner," Professor Lowe suggested.

"Yes, 'Uncle,' give yourself some time to recover," said Kim. "Here, lean on us. Come

on, Ron!"

Professor Lowe, Oscar and the sergeant went with Kim and Ron as they guided the

Doctor back to the guest tent. As they lumbered along, Oscar spoke directly to Kim in an

excited voice.

"I never saw_ anybody_ fight the way you did," he exclaimed. "You kicked that pistol six

feet up! And then you gave him a real thrashin', with just your bare hands," he added. "How

could you do that?"

"Well, . . . " Kim hesitated. _Did anybody know about Kung Fu in 1862 America?_ she

wondered.

"It's really very — ouch! — simple," the Doctor cut in as he limped toward the tent.

"During the year they spent visiting me in England, Kimberly and Ronald took lessons in a

form of unarmed combat from a friend of mine." The Sergeant held the tent flap open as Kim

and Ron manuvered the Doctor inside.

"It's a Japanese method," he went on as he sat down on a cot, "called 'baritsu,' and

even without any weapons a small person with such training can easily subdue a much larger

person who is armed."

"I believe it," the sergeant remarked. "I never saw such sharp work in me life . . . and

I've been a few good punch-ups. Before I joined the Army, that is," he added virtuously.

"You'd better stay off that leg for a while, sir," Professor Lowe said sympathetically.

Then he turned to the sergeant. "Will you see that dinner for all three is sent to the guest

tent when it's ready?"

"Yes, sir. That I will do," he answered.

Once everyone had left them alone, the Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver and waved

it over his left hip for a full minute.

"Hmmm . . . this is not good," he muttered after listening to the chirps, hums and

squeaks the device made.

"What's wrong?" Kim asked.

"Is something broken?" said Ron.

"No, there's no internal damage, but I will have a stiff leg in about an hour, and it will

last for some time." He looked at the two teens. "For a full day, at least."

"Let's see . . . " Kim mused. "We know where the stolen TARDIS is, across the river

at Fair Oaks." She looked at Ron, Rufus and the Doctor in succession. "And in two days

there's going to be a fair-sized battle right there."

"Eeep!" Rufus commented in obvious dismay.

"Look's like we'll have to go after him by ourselves, KP," Ron observed.

"Now, just a minute!" the Doctor protested. "I know you both have good skills at hand-

to-hand unarmed combat, as well as a superabundance of raw courage and energy. But an

active battlefield_ is not _the place for a pair of teen-age rush-into-danger problem-solvers!"

"Suppose the Empath is scared away by the battle, and leaves in the TARDIS? How

will we know where he's going?" Kim asked in a steely tone. "We could lose the trail!"

"Yeah, could we still find him before he messes up history and makes our folks

vanish?" Ron's voice was just as grim as Kim's.

"And what if he hasn't turned on that 'disappear-if-attacked' device and the TARDIS is

destroyed in the battle?" Kim snapped. "Will it explode and wreck this part of the country?"

The Doctor started to speak, then stopped. He looked at Kim, then Ron, back at Kim

and finally gazed at Rufus for a moment before he gave a theatrical sigh.

"If it were destroyed, the stolen TARDIS wouldn't wreck the countryside. It would just

flatten every tree and building within a kilometer and leave a twenty-meter circle of ground

fused solid," he began. "But if our quarry fled and I was not in my TARDIS to track him, it is

possible he'd get away into time, making my ― sorry, _our_ ― task much more difficult."

"Then Ron and I will have to go after him ourselves." It wasn't a question; Kim made

a firm statement.

"I don't like it. But frankly, you two have the bulge on me!" The Time Lord shook his

head. "You're mobile and for the next twenty-four hours, I won't be, so the task of finding the

Empath is one I have to leave ― reluctantly ― to you."

"Ron and I will find him, Doctor," said Kim, firmly.

There was a sharp squeak from Ron's shoulder. Kim and the Doctor both looked and

saw a determined and indignant mole rat glaring at them.

"Of course, you too, Rufus," Kim added. "You're part of Team Possible, too." She

turned to look at the Doctor again.

"And if you think we can't find that Empath, Doctor, just check my name!"

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

_The Bowmen of England; The Story of the English Longbow_, is a real book. It was written by Donald Featherstone and published in England in 1967. Like the Doctor, I have an authographed copy of that first edition. Over fifty years after it was published it remains a very readable and informative history of the many battles that were won due to the English bowman, and editions of the book are still in print.

During the Civil War there was no official model of pistol with either the Union or Confederate armies, and the Union Army did not manufacture pistols, preferring to leave that in the hands of the private manufacturers. Instead they just placed contracts for a type and quantity of handguns as they were needed. There were two standard calibers of pistol, the 44-caliber 'Army' model and the 36-caliber 'Navy' model, but this had nothing to do with the service using them. It was just a commercial designation by the Colt Patent Firearms company, but the Remington company also designated its revolvers as 44-caliber 'Army' or 36-caliber 'Navy' models. The Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver was a 31-caliber weapon and was made with a barrel of three-, four-, five- or six-inch length. Like all Colt and Remington revolvers each chamber in the cylinder was loaded with loose gunpowder and a lead ball, and a percussion cap struck by the hammer was used to fire the charge.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Six: The Spy**

**Author's Comments:** It looks like Kim, Ron and Rufus will be on their own for a bit. But all they have to do is visit a place where a major battle of the Civil War will happen in about 48 hours and locate the stolen TARDIS. Will it be as easy as that? Read on . . .

Once the Doctor had agreed to let them seek the quarry on their own, Kim and Ron

moved the chairs over to the cot and sat down for a planning session. The Time Lord carefully

showed Kim how to use the sonic screwdriver as a tracking device to find the stolen TARDIS,

while he would keep the shorter-ranged tracer.

"That way you can find it from a greater distance than with the tracer," he explained.

"And find my TARDIS if you get lost on the way back," he added. Rufus gave an indignant

squeak and glared at him.

"I think we can avoid being lost, Doctor," Kim remarked. "It's all right, Rufus. He

doesn't know how good we are at field work yet." She rubbed the mole rat's head in a

soothing way.

"Say, what's that thing you said Kim and I know?" Ron asked. "What was it you said?

'Bart-hits-you?'"

"Baritsu. It's a very effective form of unarmed combat developed from jujitsu." The

Doctor frowned at Kim for a moment.

"Remember to use that term if anyone questions your abilities, Kimberly. Kung-fu is not

generally known in western Europe or North America at this time," he explained.

Kim nodded, and then pulled out the passport the Doctor had given her earlier.

"How is it you had these all ready for Ron and me? Where did you get them, anyway?"

"I ran up those documents and my letters of introduction on the TARDIS computer

while you were fetching Ronald and Rufus to the control room." He flashed his familiar grin

again. "While I don't use identification papers very often, they can be quite helpful in a

reasonably civilized society."

"It sounds like something Wade could do, KP."

"Yeah . . . nice!" Kim looked over the document in her hands carefully.

"It was a brutal, bloody affair at times, but the combatants in the American Civil War

did have rules of conduct." The Doctor frowned. "Compared to the Cybermen, the Union

and Confederate armies were gentlemen having a simple football match."

"Just what are 'cybermen,' Doctor?" Kim asked. "I remember that you mentioned them

once before, but you never told us who or what they are."

"You don't know about Cybermen, Kimberly?"

Kim shook her head, as did Ron. Rufus shrugged and said "Uh-uh."

"Let me see . . . I first met them in 1986, when Mondas showed up in the solar

system." He looked at the two teens thoughtfully. "But you've never heard of them? Well,

that would have been before you were born."

Before Kim or Ron could reply they heard the voice of the sergeant from outside the

tent.

"It's dinner I have for yez, Doctor! Shall I bring it in?"

"Certainly!" the Doctor answered. "Open the flap for him, Ronald, if you please."

Ron pulled the tent flap at the entrance to one side and the sergeant came in, carrying

a kettle with each hand. Oscar followed with a basket, which he set on the table.

"The cook has prepared a fine stew today, with beef and vegtables that are fresh,

for a change," the sergeant explained. "There's hardtack in the basket with the plates and

such. And coffee, of course."

"I've got a piece of cheese for your pet," Oscar said to Ron, holding out a small yellow

wedge. Rufus sat up with an interested squeak.

"Thanks, dude," Ron answered. "Say, that stew smells good."

"If Ron likes it, then your cook must be good," Kim chuckled. "He's a much better cook

than I am."

"Faith, an' the Balloon Corps has a lad whose a dab hand with a skillet," said the

sergeant. "Eat hearty, folks!"

The sergeant and Oscar went out, while Ron quickly passed the cheese to Rufus and

then began dishing up the stew. The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver from Kim, treated the

hardtack to soften it, and they began to eat while continuing their planning session.

From an inside coat pocket the Doctor produced a map of the area and spread it out on

the table.

"We are here, at Gaines Farm. This road leads south to the Chickahominy River where

there should be a bridge," the Doctor explained.

"If it hasn't been washed away by the floods," Kim remarked thoughtfully.

"Yes. But across the river the road continues south to this junction, and the left turn at

this point will take you to Fair Oaks." He frowned in thought. "That is a route of over six

miles. Kimberly, you and Ronald can't just walk that distance and back! You'll need some

form of transportation."

"Aren't there any horses around here?" At Kim's question Ron grew pale and

swallowed a mouthful of stew in a gulp.

"KP, after Old Tornado, I don't think that's such a good idea!"

Kim raised one eyebrow and gazed at her partner and friend. "We won't be using a

robot horse this time, Ron."

Ron's previous experience with the robot horse built by Kim's Uncle Slim was still a

painful memory, but before he could reply, Rufus gave a sharp squeak and jumped onto the

map, waving his front paws urgently.

"What is it, buddy?" Ron asked. The mole rat pointed at the tent flap, cupped one paw

behind his ear and pantomimed somebody listening. Then he pointed at the flap again, and

made a 's-h-h-h' gesture. Kim and Ron both understood at once.

"Well, if we can't find any horses to borrow, we can walk that far and back if we have

to." Kim spoke a bit louder than she had been as she slipped quietly from her chair. Ron

shifted to jump from his seat when needed, while the Doctor carried on in a conversational

way.

"I'm sure you can walk that far, Kimberly. But a horse would be useful. I noticed

several in a corral here a little while ago. We'll just go to the source without remorse and

borrow a horse, of course."

Kim had silently moved to the front of the guest tent, set her feet, and then flipped open

the entrance flap. She lunged out, grabbed someone and jerked them back inside with a

spinning turn that threw the eaves-dropper to the ground.

"Gotcha! What are you doing, listening at the door that way?" Kim had dropped into

a fighting stance which she held, even when she saw who the listener was.

"Now then, Oscar, suppose you explain yourself," said the Doctor as he rose ― some-

what stiffly ― from his chair. He and Ron joined Kim in a circle around the small boy on the

ground, who was looking up at them with a mixture of surprise and apprehension.

"I . . . I came to ask about him." Oscar pointed at Rufus as he spoke. "I heard you

talking about crossing the river to where the Rebs are . . . " He gulped and then looked

straight at the Doctor with a look that mixed firmness and nervousness. "Are you folks spies

for the Rebs?"

"No, we're not!" Kim snapped as Ron shook his head.

"Kimberly and Ronald are Canadian, and I'm from England," the Doctor explained.

"Some time ago a device was stolen from a special branch of the British War Office, and I was

sent to get it back. Give him a hand up, Ronald," he added.

Once Oscar was seated on the cot Kim and Ron pulled the chairs into a half-circle

facing the boy. They all sat down, and the Doctor continued his explanation.

"This device is very secret because if it isn't handled properly it might explode. And if

the Confederates start poking around with it they might accidentally destroy a large part of

Richmond."

"Then they'd blame the Union for doing it," Ron remarked.

The Doctor shot a quick look at Ron and nodded.

"Exactly. And if they learn how to use it correctly . . . well, that wouldn't do the Union

any good at all," the Time Lord continued. "That's why I was sent to find and recover it.

Kimberly and Ronald may not look like it to you, Oscar, but they are both very well trained

at getting out of difficult situations and in solving problems, so I brought them with me."

"Gosh . . . could you use this thing to help us whip the Rebs?" Oscar asked.

"Permission for that would have to come directly from Her Majesty, herself," Kim said

soberly. "And nobody is sure it will work right, anyway."

The Doctor nodded approvingly at Kim's statement, and glanced at Ron, who grinned

back at the Doctor and winked. Oscar never noticed, for he was staring at Kim in wide-eyed

amazement. At the boy's questioning look Kim explained that 'the device' hadn't been

thoroughly tested yet.

"Since I'm stuck with this lame leg," the Doctor continued, "Kimberly, Ronald and Rufus

will have to go to Fair Oaks and look for our quarry. Could you help them get a horse and

wagon to use?"

Oscar looked thoughfully at Kim, Ron and the Doctor before he answered. "Sure!

There's a light wagon I've used to deliver supplies to the other balloon stations for the

Professor, and I can take it any time. But I'll have to come with you," he added slyly.

Kim mentally agreed with her previous estimate of this small boy. Not only was he the

size of her brothers Tim and Jim, he was just as tricky as either of 'The Tweebs.'

"But how are you going to find this thing when you get to Fair Oaks?"

In answer to Oscar's question the Doctor asked Kim for the sonic screwdriver, and

calmly showed it to the boy.

"First you do that . . . then point it like this . . . and there it is, about four and a half

miles away, in a straight line," he added.

"Wow . . . is it magic?" Oscar was goggle-eyed.

"Not magic, just science," the Doctor said firmly. "A wise man named Clarke has said

that there is no way to tell the difference between magic and highly advanced science." He

pointed at Oscar firmly. "By understanding the basic principles of science you could be the

greatest magician on any stage in the world!"

Oscar seemed a little dazed by all that he'd been told, so Kim brought things back to a

practical level by asking him when he could get the wagon for them to use. He frowned in

thought for a minute before he answered.

"I think I can have it ready in about an hour. The cook said he needs more fresh

vegetables, and there's some farms on the south bank of the river that might have some. If I

volunteer to go looking and you come with me . . . " He left the question hang in the air for the

others to consider.

"That should work. But we'd better not be too obvious about leaving," Kim decided.

"Yeah, somebody might ask the wrong questions," Ron agreed, and Rufus chirped,

"Yup!"

"I can show you where to meet me, and then go for the wagon." Oscar stood up, and

then addressed the Doctor. "Will that be all right, sir?"

"Yes, you do that. But you two come back here before you leave!" he added, looking

sternly at Kim and Ron. "No sailing off on your own just yet, if you please."

After promising to come back as soon as Oscar had shown them where to meet him,

Kim and Ron left with the boy, and Rufus stayed with the Doctor. The mole rat went back to

finish his piece of cheese, while the Time Lord considered what needed to be done. Once the

cheese had been eaten Rufus came to the edge of the table and pulled at the Doctor's coat-

sleeve until he got the Time Lord's attention.

"Rufus, do you want to go with Kimberly and Ronald, or stay here with me, and worry?"

"Go!" Rufus chirped, and he nodded firmly.

"All right." The Doctor gave a sigh. "I don't know if I want them to find that Empath or

not. Things could get a bit difficult either way."

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

The martial art of "baritsu" is mentioned in a famous story, which I invite you all to identify.

During the Civil War there were Confederate sympathizers in the North and Union sympathizers in the South. Espionage was common, and Oscar's suspicions are perfectly logical.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	7. Chapter 7

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Seven: Over the River and Through the Woods**

**Author's Comments:** Now Kim, Ron and Rufus have to be careful to avoid getting captured by the Confederate Army, and they also have to avoid letting Oscar Diggs learn that they come from the future. Well, it's nothing Team Possible can't handle . . . is it?

Read on . .

As soon as Kim and Ron returned to the guest tent, they explained to the Doctor that

Oscar was going to get permission from the camp cook and the sergeant to go on a foraging

trip. He would come directly to the guest tent with the horse and wagon to pick them up,

instead of having Kim and Ron meet him someplace.

"We'll probably be across the river until sometime tomorrow," said Kim. "But the battle

won't start until the middle of the day after that, so we should have plenty of time to search for

the stolen TARDIS."

"Very well, Kimberly." The Doctor frowned. "Now, I know that you, Ronald and Rufus

are obviously a very capable team, and I shouldn't be worried about your safety, but even so,

I am," he grumbled. "Perhaps it's those deep blue eyes of yours."

"Doctor, my eyes are green, and Ron's eyes are brown," Kim protested, in an amused

tone.

"I was referring to the eyes of your souls," the Doctor replied loftily.

Rufus made a chuckling sound that Kim and Ron knew was barely-suppressed

laughter. The two teens smiled, but the Doctor simply frowned again.

"I must warn you both that on Empathios they use a hand-held weapon and our

Empath have one with him. If he is," the Doctor paused for a moment, "you should exercise

extreme caution in approaching him."

"So, he may be . . . packing heat?" Ron asked in an apprehensive tone.

"What does this weapon look like, and what does it do?" Kim asked at the same time.

"It looks like a black tube; something like a fat sonic screwdriver," the Doctor explained.

"It generates a very narrow energy bean that paralyses the conscious nervous system in any

creature with a well-developed brain."

"Permanently?"

"No, Kimberly, just for a few hours, But you'd be unconscious for about six hours, and

feel poorly for a day or so after you woke up," the Time Lord replied.

Kim and Ron exchanged a thoughtful look. This was a factor they would have to

carefully allow for.

A short time later they heard the sound of a horse's hooves and the creak of a wagon

approaching the tent, followed by a call. "Here I am, folks!" It was Oscar.

Ron scooped up Rufus, tucked him in a pocket and followed Kim and the Doctor out of

the tent. Oscar sat on the driver's seat of a small wagon which was hitched to a sturdy-looking

brown horse. A wickerwork hamper and several baskets were stowed at the rear of the wagon

box.

"You won't be in trouble for doing this, will you?" Kim asked the boy.

"Naw, I told the sergeant that you two would come with me. He said that the way you

can fight, you could probably take on General Johnston's whole army and beat 'em any day."

"Even so, do your best to keep out of trouble ― and battles ― over there." The Doctor

waved a hand toward the Chickahominy River as Kim and Ron climbed aboard the wagon.

"Don't worry, dude, I've always got KP's back," Ron protested. At the same time Rufus

leaned out of the pocket he was riding in, gave the Doctor a 'thumbs up' and chirped, "Okay!"

Oscar flicked the reins and the horse started out. As he watched the wagon drive off,

the Doctor mused to himself, "Now, how can a creature without thumbs manage to do that?"

There was a narrow track leading away from the Balloon Corps camp, and Oscar steered

the horse and wagon on to this path. After a bit they came to what had to be a road, although

to Kim it just looked like a wider, unpaved trail.

"This road goes to New Bridge over the Chickahominy," Oscar explained to the two teens

as he directed the horse to follow it.

"Hey, I just felt some drops of rain, KP." Ron leaned forward toward Oscar. "What do we

do if it rains?"

The boy turned on the driver's seat and pointed at the back of the wagon.

"There's some ponchos in that hamper, an' three hats. Pretty worn, those hats, but

they're better than nothin'."

Kim studied the cloudy sky carefully. There was a definite feeling of moisture in the air

that clearly said: _Ready or not, here comes the rain!_

As the wagon rolled briskly along Kim and Ron could see troops moving about on both

sides of the road, and as they drew closer to the river they passed a cluster of tents, mounted

troops and lots of soldiers.

"General McClellan's got his headquarters there," Oscar explained as they passed the

tents and troops. "He's in command of the whole Army of the Potomac."

The road crossed a low ridge and dipped down to the bottomland along the river, which

looked fairly water-logged. By the time the wagon had come to the bridge the roadway was

the only ground that was at all dry. At the bridge they had to stop, for a group of Union

soldiers blocked the way and waved at them to halt. One of the men came up to the wagon.

"Where're you goin', boy? Oh, it's you, Oscar."

"Howdy, Tom," the boy replied. "The cook an' the sergeant sent me to see if we can

scare up some fresh vegetables an' such for Professor Lowe's men."

"All right . . . but who are these two fellers?" He nodded at Kim and Ron but barely

glanced at them.

"A man from England is visiting the Professor to talk about his balloons. They came with

him," the boy explained. "They're gonna help me collect what we find."

"Well, good luck huntin'!" the soldier laughed. "Everybody in the army's been foragin'

when they can, tryin' to find somethin' better than these 'desecrated vegetables' we get so

often." Then the soldier's face turned serious.

"But keep your eyes open, over there. Not all the Rebs are wearin' uniforms, you know."

Tom stepped back and signaled the other soldiers to clear the way.

"Thanks, Tom; we'll be careful." Oscar flicked the reins and the horse started onto the

bridge.

Kim and Ron both looked closely at the bridge as the horse and wagon rumbled across.

The roadway was just heavy planks laid side by side on supporting beams that rested on

pilings driven into the river bottom. It seemed sturdy enough, but Ron voiced his concern to

Kim.

"Do you think this is safe, KP? I mean, this thing." He gestured at the bridge, and the

dark water flowing under it.

"If the Union Army can use it, Ron, then it should hold this wagon."

Ron nodded in agreement but still watched the water apprehensively until the wagon

rolled onto the south bank of the river. Then he gave a sigh and spoke to Oscar.

"Say, dude, how is it you and that soldier know each other?"

"Oh, the Balloon Corps guards come from Tom's regiment," the boy answered. "He's

interested in balloons, like me, and we got to talkin' a lot about 'em." He flicked the reins

to keep the horse moving at a good pace. "And we use this wagon to carry supplies to the

other balloon camps. He's seen me around a lot. Whoa!"

Oscar pulled on the reins and brought the horse to a stop. They had come to an

intersection where the road they were on joined another road that ran off to the left and right.

There were a few small shacks and a larger building that looked vaguely like a general store

in a western movie, set back somewhat from the road. The boy turned to look at the two

teens, pointed at the road and then the larger building, which looked deserted...

"This in Nine Mile Road, and that's Old Tavern."

"It doesn't look as if they've got any business," Ron replied.

"Well, the Reb army an' Richmond are just a few miles up that way," Oscar explained as

he pointed to the right. "And our boys are down that way," he added, pointing to the left.

"Which way do we go, Miss Kim?"

"Just a minute, I'll check and see." Kim glanced around to make sure nobody else was

around. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, turned it on as the

Doctor had showed her, and swung it slowly about until the light indicated it was pointing in

the direction of the stolen TARDIS.

"That way." Kim pointed almost directly down the road to the left.

"How far is it, KP?"

Kim checked the readout and said, "Just under two miles, Ron."

"That'll be right where the Fair Oaks station on the York River Railroad is," Oscar

remarked. "Well, let's see what we can find there." He clucked to the horse, flicked the reins

and they started off again down the left-hand road.

The country along the roadside was mostly trees with a dense layer of undergrowth.

Open places were scarce, and Kim reflected that just marching through the area would be

hard work for any army. Fighting a battle here would be even tougher. The farms had to

be few and far between, as well.

"Oscar, do you really think you can find fresh vegetables around here?" Kim asked the

boy. "I don't see anything like a farm along this road."

"Oh, I've got some stuff from the sutler to trade with, and the commissary boys

hereabouts should have something to spare." He looked back at Kim and Ron, and grinned.

"I've done this sort of thing before."

A short time later they had to stop for another group of Union soldiers. Oscar explained

this was a 'picket line' in front of the main body of the army. One of the men came up to the

wagon and asked what they were doing, coming from the direction of Richmond.

Oscar repeated his explanation of who they were and also handed the soldier the pass

he had from the sergeant back at the Balloon Corps camp.

"Balloon Corps, eh? You go up in those gas-bags, do ya?" the Union soldier asked as

he checked Oscar's papers.

"Nope, I just help around the camp, findin' food for Professor Lowe and his men," Oscar

replied. "You must be new here, 'cause I've been all round, huntin' up stuff for the cook."

"We're the First Brigade, Second division o' the new Fourth Corps," the soldier answered

absently, as he studied the pass. "Used to be the Third Division, 'till Smith's division got

moved a week ago." He folded the pass and handed it back to Oscar.

"All right, go ahead." He called to the rest of the picket, "Let 'em through, boys!"

"Thanks, Captain!" Oscar called, as he flicked the reins and sent the horse forward.

Once they were well past the pickets, Kim got up on her knees so she could talk to Oscar

without raising her voice too much.

"I noticed that Captain Lawrence has shoulder straps on his uniform that are blue, with

two gold bars at each end," she began. "That soldier back there didn't have any gold bars on

his shoulders, but you called him 'captain,' too. Did I miss something?"

The boy turned to Kim and grinned. "That fella is a second lieutenant. But it never hurts

to boost a soldier's rank when you meet him for the first time." Oscar winked, and turned back

to watch the road.

Kim sat back down. _ I was right, _she thought_, he's as sharp as Tim and Jim!_ It would not

do to let Oscar learn too much about them, she realized.

"Infantry has the blue shoulder straps," Oscar explained, "the artillery boys have red

ones, an' the cavalry's are gold. A first lieutenant has one gold bar at each end of the

shoulder straps, an' a captain has two bars."

"Thanks," Ron remarked. "Don't you have something like that to wear?"

"Nope. The Balloon Corps isn't really part of the Army," Oscar answered.

As they continued along the road Kim noticed another group of about thirty soldiers

beside the road. Oscar explained that this was a guard to help the pickets if they were

suddenly attacked.

"We're real close to Richmond, so they have to stay alert," the boy remarked. "Hey,

there's the railroad station. Welcome to Fair Oaks, Virginia.".

Kim and Ron looked ahead. They had come out of the forest into an open space, and

the road stretched directly ahead of them toward a small wooden building. This one also

looked as if it belonged in an old-time western movie. There were three or four small houses

in the area, and what looked like a warehouse along a side track from the main line of the

railroad. Another road joined the one they were on from the left, which Oscar said led to

another bridge over the river.

There were a number of horses tethered by their reins to a rail and a team of six mules

hitched to a canvas-covered wagon beside the station platform. A triangle of blue lines with a

point up was marked on the side of the canvas, and two men were unloading sacks and boxes

from the wagon and piling them on the platform.

"Pull over there, Oscar," Kim directed, pointing toward a few trees in a cluster to the left.

The boy nodded, clucked to the horse, and calmly drove the wagon out of the way of any

passers-by. Then Kim got out the sonic screwdriver and checked the distance and direction of

the stolen TARDIS again, keeping the Doctor's device out of sight of the soldiers and civiilians

in the area.

"Okay, KP, where is it?" Ron asked in his 'mission mode' manner.

Kim shifted the device back and forth, checked the distance scale, and then did it all

again.

"Is something wrong, Miss Kim?" Oscar remained on the wagon seat, but he was clearly

interested in finding the 'device' he had been told about.

"It's in _that_ direction, and so close we should be able to see it," Kim muttered.

"According to this, what we're looking for is about thirty yards away, right over there." She

was pointing directly at the Fair Oaks railroad station building!

Rufus made a faint "Yeep!" sound, and Ron gulped. There were a couple of dozen

Union troops and wagonmen in and around the station, which made searching it seem to be

a very tough problem.

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

The description of Union Army shoulder straps is correct. A major's straps have a gold oak leaf at each end and a lieutenant colonel's have a silver oak leaf. Higher ranks have stars.

At one time or another the Union Army had its divisions organized into corps. While two of these corps didn't have them, each of the others had a different symbol as a badge. For the first division of a corps it would be colored red, while for the third division it was blue. The second division would have the badge in white, surrounded by a narrow blue line. The badge of the Fourth Corps was an equal-sided triangle with one point at the top.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	8. Chapter 8

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Eight: No Train, Just Rain**

**Author's Comments:** Our friends seem to be almost on top of the stolen TARDIS, but how can they search for it in the middle of a mob of Union Army soldiers? And if they do find it, would they be able to take it away? Complications keep piling up on this sitch for Kim & Company.

Read on . .

"It's probably inside the station," Kim said. "But hidden, somehow." She glanced at

Ron, hoping he would remember not to mention the fact that a TARDIS could camouflage

itself. Oscar didn't know about that.

"Inside a box, maybe?" Oscar mused. "How big is it, anyway?"

"Maybe it's in a box of supplies," Ron suggested, side-stepping Oscar's question.

"Food or cartridges, stuff like that."

"I doubt it," Kim remarked thoughtfully. "Somebody might carry it away if they

thought it was full of food. And would they store ammunition in the railroad station, Oscar?"

"Not supposed to," the boy answered. "But if it was in a crate o' those 'dessicated

vegetables' the Commissary Department sends us, I don't think anybody'd take it by

mistake."

At Kim's questioning look the boy explained that fresh vegetables were scalded, dried,

pressed into cakes and supplied to the troops. "But when you put the things in a soup kettle

they look like dead leaves floatin' in the water."

"Bleah!" Rufus commented from Ron's pocket. Kim rolled her eyes, and Ron gulped.

"Is that what that soldier at the bridge was talking about when he said 'desecrated

vegetables'?" Ron said, shakily.

"Uh-huh. Say, I know one o' those fellows at the supply wagon." Oscar pointed to the

men who were still unloading sacks and crates from the covered wagon. "I could go over and

ask 'em if there's any chance of trading for some fresh stuff. Is that all right?" he asked Kim.

"Good idea," she answered. "While you're talking to them, Ron and I can take a quick

look inside the station."

"Sounds good to me, KP."

As Oscar guided the wagon over to the little station, Kim carefully concealed the sonic

screwdriver and quietly told Ron that Rufus should keep out of sight while they were among

so many soldiers. Ron nodded, and the mole rat snuggled down in his padded pocket. Once

the wagon was parked beside the tethered horses, they all got down. Oscar went to talk to the

wagonmen while Kim and Ron got up on the station platform and looked around.

The station had a storeroom at one end, a general waiting room at the other, and a

passage connecting them. There were boxes and sacks piled in the storeroom, and several

men, both soldiers and civilians, were in the waiting room. Ron started to go into the building

but Kim shook her head and nodded toward the station platform nearest to the single set of

rails.

"Too many people in there," Kim murmured as they turned the corner and stopped at

a set of windows on the track side of the station.

"Looks like the office, KP," Ron muttered as he gazed through the glass. "Telegraph,

tickets and timetables." He turned and looked up and down the track in a judgemental way.

"Pretty light rails . . . no heavy trains, I'd say . . . probably none running, anyway."

"How can you be sure, Ron? The Union Army might use it to move things."

"This line goes to Richmond," Ron explained. He pointed at a blackboard on the side

of the building with the words 'From Richmond' and 'To Richmond' painted at the top and

places for times to be chalked.

Kim gazed through the dusty window into the station office. She could see a tall

'grandfather' clock in a corner, telegraph instruments on a desk and a wall clock that was

clearly broken. It looked as if a bullet had smashed the face of the wall clock, and one hand

was missing.

"Let's see how Oscar's doing, Ron." Kim nodded back toward the wagon, so they

headed along the platform and turned the corner. Going around the next corner they met the

boy coming toward them.

"No luck," Oscar reported. "They say all the places around here with crops are picked

pretty clean. How about you?" he added softly.

"Not a sign of it," Kim muttered.

"Hey, Abner! Where should we pile these crates?" one of the soldiers at the supply

wagon called. A second man in Union blue answered him.

:"The Captain says to put 'em in the office if nobody will take 'em, so's they don't get

stole."

"Who'd be fool enough to steal these?" the first man retorted, as he carried a crate into

the station.

"Rebs might. They'll eat anything!" the second man laughed, as he turned back to the

supply wagon.

"Preserved vegetables?" Kim asked Oscar, and the boy nodded. "The sacks are all

hardtack," he explained. "The regiments around here will each send a few men to collect

rations from this station."

"We must be almost on top of it, but we can't find it!" Kim fumed.

"Hey there, lads! Give us a hand in here, will you?"

Kim, Ron and Oscar looked toward the voice to see a Union Army leutenant beckoning to

them. Ron glanced back at Kim. She nodded, and said "Go ahead, Ron. I've got to think."

Oscar and Ron went over to the officer while Kim walked back around the station to the

side next to the rails.

Kim leaned against the station wall and gathered her thoughts. _There's nothing in or_

_around here that looks like a TARDIS . . . but it might look like anything! _she mused. _It can't_

_be the whole building . . . maybe as a crate of those vegetables? _Kim wished she had the

Kimunicator with her to scan things, but Wade was giving it an upgrade and just now it was a

thousand miles and a hundred and forty years away. _Okay, Possible, you can do anything;_

_so, FIND IT!_

Her train of thought was derailed by a series of thuds and bumps from inside the station

office. Kim looked in through the window to see Ron, a man in civilian clothes, Oscar and a

soldier struggling to manuever the 'grandfather' clock out the door into the waiting room..

Then she turned back to look up the tracks to the northwest, toward Richmond.

The day after tomorrow the Confederate Army would come this way and the station

would be in the middle of a battle. If the Empath had any sense he'd just hop in the TARDIS

and leave . . . but if he came here to feel the emotions of the battle, how could he protect the

TARDIS and still be close enough to all the action?

Kim straightened up and muttered her father's favorite phrase: "Anything is possible . . .

for a Possible!" She walked back to the wagon and arrived there just as Ron and Oscar did.

"What was that all about, Ron? I mean, you helping to move that clock."

"The man who owned it came to pick it up," Ron replied. "He said it was delivered here

a week ago, but he couldn't find a wagon and a driver to come here to collect it until today."

"Sure was heavy," said Oscar. "Well, what do we do now, Miss Kim?"

"Get out those ponchos," Kim said. "Here comes the rain."

Ron glanced at the dark clouds rolling in, and Oscar opened the hamper. The boy pulled

out a poncho and hat for each of them, and they got them on just in time as a light shower

began to fall.

Something had been tickling at the back of Kim's mind as they put on the ponchos and

hats, so she turned to Oscar and asked him, "You said that clock was heavy. Heavier than a

clock usually is?"

"I never carried a clock like that before," the boy answered as he started the wagon

moving toward a grove of oak trees for shelter. "But I never thought clockwork was that

heavy."

"Maybe the case was made from really heavy wood," Ron observed. "Like oak."

"It looked like maple to me," Oscar commented as he brought the wagon to a halt.

"Whoa! Well, this is the best we can do right now." He gestured at the leafy branches

overhead, which did seem to be keeping some of the rain off.

"Is our target still here, Kim?"

At Ron's question Kim glanced around to check if anyone was near enough to see what

she was doing. Everything seemed clear, so she pulled out the sonic screwdriver and pointed

it at the station.

"Wait! It isn't there!" Kim exclaimed. She swung the screwdriver back and forth and

then stopped with it pointing toward the road they had come down to get there. She checked

the range reading and gasped.

"It's moving, Ron! It's getting farther away right now!"

They all looked up the road and could see a small wagon, much like their own, just

disappearing into the rain.

"That's the wagon we put the clock in!" Oscar exclaimed.

"KP! It must be the clock . . . I mean, it's _inside_ the clock," Ron sputtered.

"Oscar! Follow that wagon!" Kim snapped in her 'mission mode' voice. "We can't let that

thing get carried to Richmond," she added meaningfully.

The boy looked surprised, but only for a moment. Then he flicked the reins and urged

their horse into a trot. The road was muddy enough to show good wheel tracks so Ron

watched the road while Kim scanned ahead of them with the sonic screwdriver. The other

wagon was staying about two hundred yards ahead of them.

They passed through the picket line without trouble and finally came to the intersection

at Old Tavern, but the other wagon kept on going.

"He's heading for Richmond!" Oscar muttered. "I wonder how the Rebs treat prisoners?"

"We're not in prison yet," Kim replied. "Do you want to stay behind, Oscar? Ron and I

can prove we're Canadians, so they'd let us go," she added.

"I'm not a quitter," the boy answered stoutly. "And if I go back to the camp without you

two and the wagon, the Sergeant will tan my hide!"

"KP! He turned off here," Ron exclaimed, pointing to a narrow pathway on the left side

of the road.

Oscar stopped the horse, and they all gazed at the fresh set of wheel ruts leading down

the half-overgrown track.

Ron and Oscar exchanged a glance and then turned to Kim, who was checking with the

sonic screwdriver.

"He's stopped . . . about a quarter mile straight down this trail."

Oscar glanced at Kim. "Do we keep following him?"

"Go down this track a little," she answered. "Let's see if we can get closer."

Oscar turned the horse and guided him slowly along the narrow pathway. After a few

minutes Kim told Oscar to stop.

"We're getting close," she explained. "Is there anyplace we can get the horse and

wagon out of sight?"

"Isn't that a barn, over there?" Ron pointed to their left and through the trees and rain

they saw a small building.

"Pull over there, Oscar, and maybe we can get out of the rain," Kim decided. "Then we'll

do some planning."

The building _was _a barn, a small one, but it looked sturdy and the roof kept the rain out.

Oscar walked the horse and wagon into the structure, and pointed to some stalls and bales

of hay.

"Somebody's been using this, but I'll bet they cleared out when the Union Army moved up

this way."

"Our target is about a hundred and fifty yards in that direction," Kim pointed as she

spoke. "And it hasn't moved since we turned off the main road."

"The man who collected that clock must have a place to stay back there," Ron said.

"Sneak up on him after dark?"

"Can I come, too?" Oscar sounded very enthusiastic.

"Are you sure you want to? It might be dangerous," Kim replied, but the boy just shook

his head.

"I'm real good at sneaking, Miss Kim. Back home I did a lot of sneaking into places my

father told me to stay out of."

"Ever get caught, dude?" Ron asked him.

Oscar grinned ruefully. "Just once, five years ago, an' I got a lickin' for it. But since then

. . . nothing!" he added proudly.

"All right," said Kim. "Let's settle down until it gets dark, and then we'll all go sneaking."

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Canned foods existed at the time of the U. S. Civil War, but they were expensive luxuries, and had to be purchased from the regimental suttler. The average enlisted man would only be able to afford them on special occasions. The 'preserved vegetables' described was the best that could be done in the 1860s to provide fresh vegetables in quantity to the Union Army.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	9. Chapter 9

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Nine: Reconnaissance by Naked Mole Rat**

**Author's Comments:** The stolen TARDIS is now in an isolated cabin directly between the Confederate and Union armies, with a major battle due to burst in the area in about 36 hours. The Empath may have a hand weapon that can stun people, and our friends cannot afford to get stunned and left unconscious for a day in this area. A very ticklish sitch, isn't it?

Read on . .

As they waited for nightfall, Oscar got out some hardtack that he'd brought along and

Kim treated it with the sonic screwdriver to soften it. Oscar watched this with his eyes wide in

wonder, but before he could start asking questions Kim explained, "It's just science, like 'my

uncle' said."

"Somebody's coming, KP," Ron called softly. Kim and Oscar promptlly joined Ron at the

barn door, where a crack let them see the narrow track that led to the cabin from Nine Mile

Road. As they watched they saw a horse and wagon, driven by an old man, come from the

direction of the cabin and roll past toward the road

"That's the wagon we loaded the clock in, and the guy who was driving it" Ron said,

softly.

Kim quickly checked and saw that the stolen TARDIS was not in the wagon that was

leaving.

"That man must not live here," Kim mused aloud. "He just helped our 'subject' bring that

clock to this cabin."

"If he don't live here, he's probably going home before the rain gets worse," Oscar

observed.

"It one less person we have to worry about," Kim added. "Well, let's settle down and wait

for it to get dark."

After feeding the horse some of the hay in the barn, and some 'reconstituted' hardtack as

well, Oscar sat down with Kim, Ron and Rufus as they ate and discussed the mission at hand.

"Well, 'It' hasn't moved since we got here," Kim mused, checking on the presence of the

stolen TARDIS. "Either he's still there, or he's left "It' and gone someplace else."

"Suppose we meet him?" Oscar asked in a serious voice. "Do we take him prisoner?"

"We could do that, KP," Ron remarked. "Take him and 'It' back to 'your uncle,' and let

him sort things out."

"I'd like to, Ron, but remember, this man might be armed."

"You mean he might have a gun on him?" Oscar asked, apprehensively.

"Could be," Ron replied.

"Oh, deliver us," the boy groaned. "Shootin'!"

"We want to avoid that," Kim said firmly, "no matter _what!_"

There was a patter of rain on the barn roof that quickly grew to a steady downpour.

Fortunately the roof only leaked in a few relatively unimportant spots, and by the time the

sun had fully set the rain had stopped.

They left the barn and slowly approached the cabin on the side away from the narrow

track that led to the road. Kim and Ron had had plenty of experience at being stealthy, but

Kim noticed that Oscar was pretty good at keeping quiet as well. _He _is _good at sneaking_,

she thought.

A short distance from the cabin they stopped. The ground was clear of bushes and

shrubs for about twenty feet in all directions from the building, and wooden shutters covered

every window. There was some light coming from a crack in a shutter, but they couldn't hear

anything from inside the cabin. Kim spoke softly to Ron and Oscar.

"We need to get a look inside and see if he's there."

Ron raised an index finger in an 'Aha!' gesture, took Rufus from his pocket, and held

him up with one hand.

"Rufus, buddy, can you get in there without being seen or caught, and find out if there's

anybody inside?" Ron asked quietly.

The naked mole rat gazed at the open ground and the cabin, made a 'thumbs up'

gesture and nodded emphatically.

"Go ahead, but be careful!" Kim cautioned and Ron lowered his pet to the ground.

As soon as Ron had put him down, Rufus quickly rolled in a muddy spot to cover his pink

skin. Then he began moving across the open area, taking advantage of every dip and hump

in the rough ground. A U. S. Navy SEAL or an Army Ranger _might_ have done a better job, but

not all that much better.

Upon reaching the cabin, Rufus carefully searched around the base of the building.

It was set on a low foundation of rough-cut stones, and in a minute he found a gap

between two stones where he could slip through. There was no basement ― just a very

low crawl space with wooden beams and floor-boards above the ground.

In one corner of the crawl space Rufus saw a spot of light that seemed to come from a

hole in the floor. He scurried over to it and discovered a knothole in one of the floor-boards.

The foundation stones were rough enough to offer plenty of holds for his claws, and he could

dig them into the floor-boards and hold on upside down. _Just like the human superhero in that_

_series Ronald was watching last week on the "Classic Cartoons" channel_, Rufus thought.

As he went up the stones, gripped the wood and crept toward the knothole, in his mind

Rufus improvised on the cartoon's theme song:

_Spider-mole, Spider-mole,_

_Gets through any little hole._

_He is small, he is pink,_

_He is smarter than you think._

_Look out! Here comes Spider-mole._

Reaching the knothole Rufus found that it was just big enough for him to squeeze through.

There was no sound from the room, so he poked his head up cautiously, and found a

large room with nobody in it. There was a table and three chairs, a bed, a cupboard and

a trunk. Pieces of clothing and a stray boot were scattered on the floor. An oil lamp on

the table was lit and a grandfather's clock stood against one wall, but there was no sign of any

humans.

Rufus climbed out of the hole and scurried around the room, carefully keeping close to

something he could hide under (or in) if anyone appeared, but all remained quiet. He was

about to check the door when he heard a wheeze-whooshing sound coming from the clock,

and he immediately ducked into the boot that lay on the floor. Once inside, he turned around

to see what was happening and saw an old-fashioned pot-bellied stove materialize in the

middle of the room!

_Just the way that other one appeared_. Rufus thought back to the time when he and K-9

had seen Drax's TARDIS appear inside the control room of the Doctor's TARDIS. He ducked

a bit further back into the boot to be sure he was hidden, just as the top of the stove folded

back and a human in a rough shirt and trousers climbed out of it. This stranger dusted off his

hands while gazing at the grandfather's clock and then calmly closed the stove lid. Then he

went to the table, pulled some papers from his pocket, sat down in a chair and began to study

them.

This must be the person that his humans and the Doctor were looking for, he decided.

They called the thief an 'Empath,' so even though he looked like a human, he wasn't really

a human at all.

Rufus considered his options. If he could get back to the knothole without being seen,

he could alert Kim and Ron that the Empath was in the cabin. But to get to the hole from the

boot he would have to be out in the open for about ten feet, and the Empath might see him. It

looked as if he would have to stay hidden for a time and watch for a chance to leave without

being spotted.

The Empath seemed very intent on what he was reading, but after a few minutes he

shook his head as if he were annoyed. Then he got up, went over to the stove and opened

the lid. With some effort he climbed into the stove and closed the lid behind him. Rufus kept

back in the boot in case the Empath suddenly reappeared, but in less than a minute the

wheeze-whooshing sound started again.

The stove faded away and vanished like a burst bubble. Rufus held his position for a

minute to see if it came back, and when it did not he ran to the knothole, wriggled through it

and dropped to the floor of the crawl space. He scurried to the gap in the foundation stones,

crawled through, and raced across the open ground to rejoin Kim, Ron and Oscar.

"Okay, buddy, is he in there?" Ron asked.

The mole rat shook his head and squeaked, "Uh-uh! Nope!"

"Was there any sign that he _had _been there?" Kim asked.

"Yup-yup," Rufus replied. Then he made a series of squeaky wheezes and whooshes

and waved 'bye-bye' a couple of times.

Kim understood at once. "He _was_ there, but he's left, is that it?" The mole rat nodded

vigorously in reply.

"Come on, Ron, let's see if we can get in." Kim rose to her feet as she spoke. Oscar

bounced to his feet while Ron paused just long enough to scoop up Rufus and tuck the mole

rat in his usual fur-lined pocket before following the others across the open yard.

Moving very quietly the three went around the cabin until they came to the door. Kim

listened carefully, then tried the latch handle, and the door opened easily.

"Not locked? That's sort of careless," Ron remarked as they went inside.

Kim saw that the cabin was just one room with only the door they had just come in by.

A careful visual scan confirmed Rufus' report: there was nobody in the cabin. But the

grandfather's clock _was_ here.

"Oscar, watch to see if anybody comes to the door." Without waiting to see if the boy

followed orders, Kim hurried to the clock, carefully opened it and looked inside. She half

expected to see something like the inside of the Doctor's TARDIS, but there was nothing

there except a pendulum and the weights that powered the clockwork.

"There's nothing here! He must have taken 'It' out and gone somewhere with 'It,' Ron."

"KP! Take a look at this," Ron called softly. "What sort of writing is it?"

Kim came over to where Ron was scowling at the papers that were piled on the table.

The top sheet was covered with a series of marks that looked vaguely like shorthand, and

something like Arabic lettering, but had an added strange quality to it.

"It isn't Hebrew," Ron remarked. "I can tell."

"It might be in some sort of code," Kim replied. "I wish 'my uncle' was here," she added,

glancing sharply at Ron. "He might be able to understand it."

Rufus gave a squeak and jumped from his pocket to the table, landing on a smaller piece

of paper that was lying to one side. He hopped off the sheet and pointed at it, chattering

urgently.

Kim looked closer and saw that this seperate sheet was written in English. "It's a list

of places and dates," she mused aloud. "Fair Oaks, Virginia . . . San Antonio, Texas . . .

Bladensburg, Maryland . . . Baltimore, Maryland . . . and someplace called 'The Cow Pens'

in South Carolina!"

"Nice of him to write it like that, so we can read it," Ron remarked. "Hey! Here's a map,

Kim." He pointed to the corner of a sheet sticking out from the bottom of the pile.

"Wait, we don't want to leave anything out of place. That would tell him somebody was

here," Kim cautioned. "I wish I had something to write with, and a piece of paper!" Once

again she felt the lack of the Kimunicator ― especially its scanner.

"I've got a pencil and a list of what the cook wants," Oscar said from where he stood at

the nearly-closed door. "You can have them, Miss Kim."

"Thanks, Oscar," Kim replied. "Bring them over. Ron, you keep watch in his place."

Taking the paper and pencil from the boy, Kim started copying the first lines of the

strange writing from the top sheet in the pile of papers. After getting four or fives lines down

the page she stopped, and carefully lifted the stack of papers off the bottom sheet. It _was _a

map, and Oscar recognized the places on it right away.

"That must be Richmond . . . there's the Chickahominy River . . . that line has to be the

York River Railroad . . . and the Fair Oaks Station is right there." Oscar frowned. "I don't

understand what these red and green marks are, though."

Kim tapped the map at the spot Oscar said was the station. "Green marks here and on

the north side of the river. I think they show where Union troops are, and these red ones show

where Confederate troops are." She pointed to a series of red marks in an arc around

Richmond.

"Say, maybe he wants to sell this thing he stole to the Rebs!" Oscar exclaimed.

"Could be," Kim remarked absently, and went back to copying the strange writing until

the back of the shopping list was covered. Then she carefully placed the papers back on the

map, exactly as she had found them..

"What do we do now, Miss Kim?" Oscar asked nervously.

"Grab him when he comes back, KP?" Ron's voice held a touch of doubt in it.

"Like I said, Ron, he might be armed," she answered. "We'd better just leave first and

then decide what to do."

Ron scanned outside through the barely-open door, then nodded. He slipped out with

Oscar right behind him followed by Kim, and they moved quickly back to the barn. Just as

they entered there was a flash of lightning and a roll of thunder, followed by more rain.

"Here's the way I see it, Ron," Kim began. "He took 'It' and went away, somehow, but he

left those papers so he's probably coming back." She hoped Ron would remember to keep

the nature of the stolen TARDIS to himself and not let Oscar in on the secret.

"Sounds right to me, KP," Ron agreed. Rufus had climbed to Ron's shoulder to listen,

and he chirped, "Yup!"

"Miss Kim?" Oscar asked hesitantly. "He left the lamp lit, too. Would that mean

something?"

"Good point," Ron remarked, and Kim nodded.

"That's another sign that he'll be back soon. What's more he has a map that shows

where all the Union and Rebel troops are," Kim continued.

"I'll bet even General Johnston doesn't have one that good!" Oscar said. "If he did the

Reb Army could find a weak spot and hit General McClellan real hard."

Kim thought for a moment to remember what she had written in her research paper for

History. Oh, yes . . . "General Joseph Johnston ― he's the head of the Confederate army in

Richmond, isn't he?"

Before Oscar could answer there was another massive thunderclap, and the sound of the

rain became even louder.

"I was going to say we should start back to the camp," Kim remarked, "but it might be

better to wait until it's daylight."

"Is it all right if I unharness the horse, then?" Oscar asked with a glance at the wagon.

"I think so," she answered. "If we have to get away from here in a hurry the wagon would

probably bog down in the mud anyway."

While Oscar tended to the horse, Kim 'processed' some more hardtack so they could all

eat something. After they had eaten she suggested that Ron, Rufus and Oscar get some

sleep while she kept a watch in case anybody came near the old barn. Oscar promptly

volunteered to stand watch too, but spoiled the effect by immediately yawning.

"You get some rest," Kim insisted. "Ron and I are used to going short on sleep, but if

we need you," she quickly added, "I'll wake you up."

The boy nodded, found a clean and dry place without roof leaks, and stretched out. Ron

spread hay in the wagon box for himself.

"Wake me around midnight, KP, and I'll take a watch too."

"I will, Ron." Kim went around the barn to make sure the doors and windows were tight

so that they would hear anyone who tried to get in, and then settled down to think about the

list of places and dates she had seen. _It could be a list of places the Empath wants to visit_,

she mused to herself. _Has he gone off to one of them, or is he just down the road a bit? If_

_that's the case where did he go? And what does that strange writing mean?_ It was a really

tough puzzle to unravel.

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Why would the Empath have a list of places written in English, when those other pages are written in some strange, perhaps alien, alphabet? And just where, or when, has he gone in the stolen TARDIS?

Can anybody tell me what TV show Ron and Rufus have been watching lately?

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticism will be replied to.


	10. Chapter 10

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Ten: Gone Away**

**Author's Comments:** The Battle of Fair Oaks is getting closer and the Empath has gone somewhere or somewhen with the stolen TARDIS. Will he return before the battle? Will Team Possible capture him? Will Union or Confederate troops intrude? Complications abound!

Read on . .

"KP! Wake up!" Kim woke in an instant and sat up in the wagon bed. She realized that

Ron had shaken her shoulder, and was standing next to the wagon, barely visible in

the dim light of dawn that leaked into the barn through cracks in the siding.

"What's the sitch, Ron?" Kim kept her voice low

"I think some horses and riders have gone to that cabin," Ron said. "They just rode past

from the main road like they knew it was there."

Kim noted that Rufus was awake and alert, his head sticking out of the special pocket he

always rode in. Oscar was up as well, peeking through a crack in the side door of the barn in

the direction of the little cabin where the Empath seemed to have gone. She quietly got out of

the wagon and ghosted over to the door, where Oscar moved aside and let her look out.

"It sounded like five or six horses to me," the boy muttered.

As she gazed out into the pale dawn Kim remembered waking Ron to take a watch in her

place, but not Oscar. "When did you get up?" she asked, with a glance at their young helper.

"About an hour ago," was the reply. "I was slept out, so I thought I'd keep Ron company."

Kim nodded absently as she pulled out the sonic screwdriver and checked to see if the

stolen TARDIS was back.

"Well, 'It' still isn't there," she reported. Ron raised an eyebrow and frowned.

"Do you suppose he'll come back while those riders are in the cabin?"

_If the stolen TARDIS appears in the cabin in front of witnesses_, Kim thought, _that will_

really_ cause an uproar!_

"Who do you think these guys are?" Ron muttered.

"Might a Reb scouting party," Oscar said softly. "Or a patrol from the picket line." He

jerked a thumb in the direction of Fair Oaks.

Kim frowned. "I want a closer look, Ron. Let's go."

"Uh . . . kinda light out now, Kim. Should we wear those ponchos and hats?" he asked.

Kim considered the idea of camouflage for a moment and then shook her head. "And try

to fight that way, Ron? Better not."

Ron nodded and as they started for the door Kim said to Oscar, "You don't have to come;

it might be dangerous."

"If they're wearing uniforms I can tell you who they are," the boy replied. Again, he

reminded Kim of her two younger brothers.

"All right, but if we have to scoot, you_ scoot!_" she told him firmly.

"Yes, Miss Kim."

There was enough underbrush and small trees to keep them screened from anybody in

the cabin who might open a window and look out, but it was still possible to slip between them

without making any sound. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast, and the

ground was fairly wet.

Once they reached the clearing around the cabin they moved around it until they could

see the cabin door. Five horses stood there, tethered to the hitching rail. Oscar scowled in

concentration as he stared at them.

"Could be Rebs or Union," the boy said softly. "Nothin' fancy about 'em, anyway."

"Rufus, can you get in there and then report back?" Kim asked the mole rat. He nodded

and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Ron lowered his friend to the ground and whispered, "Be careful, buddy."

A quick roll in the mud and Rufus slipped across the clearing to the cabin. He found the

spot in the foundation where he'd gone in the night before, wriggled between the stones and

scurried over to the knothole. He could hear several voices in the room above, but they

weren't clear enough to understand. Up the stones, across the underside of the floor, and into

the knothole he went, and very carefully scanned what he could see before poking his nose

above the floor. There were three humans dressed in gray standing around the table and

studying the papers on it.

"Lieutenant, I can't read this stuff at all!" one of the men remarked in a frustrated tone.

"Chicken tracks make more sense than this."

"It might be some sort of code," one of the others at the table replied. "I'll take them

back for the Captain to see." Rufus could see a series of long loops of yellow cloth on the end

of the sleeve of this human's coat, and decided this might identify him as an officer. The

other humans' coats did not have such markings.

A voice from someone out of sight to Rufus said, "This shore is a fancy clock to be out

here in this place."

"The lamp was still lit," the officer remarked. "Whoever was here could've left in a hurry

when he heard us coming."

"Runaways, maybe?" the first human asked.

"Could be," was the reply. "It doesn't look as if a Yankee patrol was here."

Rufus pulled back into the knothole slightly to stay out of sight. _These humans must be_

_what Oscar called 'rebs,' _he decided. _'Yankees' are the one's in blue like the humans we_

_met yesterday._

Taking another peek into the cabin Rufus saw that one of the 'rebs' was holding a gun of

some sort. Then he heard a familiar wheeze-whooshing sound that became louder, and the

humans all looked up in surprise. Rufus poked his head up from the knothole and saw the

pot-bellied stove reappear, just where it had been standing before.

"What the - ?"

"Whut's that thing?"

The officer pulled a large handgun from a pouch at his belt and snapped out a

command.

"Some sort of Yankee devilment, boys! Keep your guns on it!"

Rufus glanced around the room, noted that there were five humans there, and all were

now holding guns. _This could get bad in a hurry, _he thought. But once the 'stove' had stopped

whooshing and the humans all had their guns pointed at it, nothing happened for at least a full

minute.

Then the lid of the stove folded back and the human ― the Empath ― came into view,

as if he was standing inside an ordinary stove. Rufus noticed that the Empath held a black

rod, somewhat like the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, in one hand, and the mole rat promptly

ducked back down the knothole.

WUMM - WUMM - WUMM - WUMM - WUMM!

Whatever that thing was, it was loud! Rufus felt slightly dizzy for a moment, and

concentrated on holding on to the sides of the knothole until he felt normal again. Then he

carefully poked his head into the cabin and looked around.

The Empath was out of the 'stove' and had come to the table, where he was gathering up

the papers. The soldiers in gray were all flat on the floor and not moving. Rufus watched as

the Empath collected the papers, then went back to the 'stove' and got into it. After a minute

or so the wheeze-whooshing sound began again and the 'stove' faded away.

_Well, this is fine piece of cheese, and no mistake!_ Rufus thought furiously. Those

soldiers had frightened the Empath into fleeing someplace, and there was no way to tell where

or when he had gone. The best thing to do was to report back to his humans, Rufus decided,

so he backed down the knothole, dropped to the floor of the crawlspace, and hurried off.

After a quick scamper across the clearing to where his humans were hiding Rufus

promptly made his report by answering Kim and Ron's questions.

"There are five horses here, Rufus," Kim asked. "Are there five men inside the cabin?"

"Uh-huh!" he nodded vigorously.

"Are they dressed in blue, like the soldiers at the balloon camp?" The mole rat shook

his head and squeaked, "Nope!"

"Rebs," Oscar muttered, "I knew it."

"What are they doing, buddy?" Ron asked his friend. Rufus promptly flopped on his

back, went limp and closed his eyes. After a short moment he sat up, and then pantomimed

someone who was asleep.

"Maybe they just stopped here to take a nap," Ron commented, but Rufus shook his little

head and made a 'wheeze-whoosh' sound. Then he picked up a tiny twig, pointed it and gave

a series of short squeaks, following which he flopped on his back again. Then he bounced to

his feet, repeated the 'wheeze-whoosh' noise and waved 'bye-bye.'

"He came back, stunned the Confederate soldiers, and left again. Is that it?" Kim said.

"Yup!" Rufus happily gave a thumbs-up. Kim could always understand him!

"Let's just have a look inside." Kim rose to her feet and headed for the cabin door with

Oscar right behind her. Ron paused just long enough to pick up his pet. Then he sprinted

after the others.

As before, the door was not locked and the lamp on the table was still lit. But the sight of

five Confederate soldiers lying quietly on the floor was different. Oscar shivered and said,

"Are they . . . dead?"

Kim's mother had insisted that her daughter learn First Aid, and Kim remembered her

lessons well. She went to each man and checked him carefully before answering Oscar's

question.

"They're all alive; just unconscious. I wonder what did it?"

"That guy we're following must have something that stuns people," Ron observed. "Hey,

those papers are all gone, KP."

"Great! We found him and 'It,' but now we've lost them both," Kim's irritation was

obvious. She got out the sonic screwdriver and scanned in a complete circle, but all that

showed up was the location of the Doctor's TARDIS.

"He's out of range, Ron."

Rufus had climbed down from his usual pocket and started searching the floor, and now

he began squeaking his head off and dancing beside the Confederate officer's limp form.

"What is it, buddy? Did you find something?" Ron knelt and then saw a sheet of paper

that was almost covered by the officer. He carefully rolled the man aside and Kim picked up

the paper.

"This is that list of places and dates that was on the table! He must have been holding it

when he was stunned, and then fell on top of it. Good job, Rufus!" Kim scanned the sheet

and pulled out the envelope the Doctor had given her. She put the list of dates in with the

'passport' and her copy of the mysterious notes the Empath had left, carefully tucking the

envelope back in her pocket. Then Kim looked up at Oscar and Ron.

"I think we'd better head back to the Balloon Corps camp and tell 'my uncle' what's

happened. If these men were scouting for the Confederate Army there might be more of

them showing up soon." She glanced around at the five unconscious soldiers.

"I'll hitch up the horse and we can get going right away," Oscar said as they all started out

the cabin door.

"Good idea," Ron remarked. "Those soldiers might wake up ready to shoot first and talk

later."

_It's not them that I'm worried about_, Kim thought. _It's the main Confederate Army that's_

_coming this way tomorrow. The Doctor was right when he said the middle of a battlefield is_

_no place to be!_

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Confederate soldiers used the term 'runaway' to mean a slave who had left his home and headed north in the hope of getting to a free state.

It seems that the Empath does have a stunner of some kind, and he has left the area for some other place and time. .Can the Doctor and Team Possible still find him? We must wait and see . . .

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticisms are appreciated, and will be replied to.


	11. Chapter 11

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Eleven: Rain, Rain, Please Go Away**

**Author's Comments:** The Empath has left in the stolen TARDIS, destination unknown. The rain continues, the Chickahominy River is rising, and the road is a quagmire. Kim, Ron, Rufus and Oscar are still on the south side of the river where a batlle will happen in twenty-four hours. Not the best sitch to be in, is it? But things can't get any worse . . . can they?

Read on . .

The all-morning, off-and-on rain mixed with the muddy roads of 1862 Virginia to make

the journey back to the camp a long, soggy, trudge. The mud slowed progress to a crawl, and

the fact that they had to pull off the road and hide the wagon three times when military patrols

came by was an additional delay. Oscar was certain that the first two patrols were

Confederates but wasn't sure about the third one.

When they reached the Old Tavern junction and turned onto the road toward the bridge

over the Chickahominy River, Ronald gave a sigh. "Halfway there, KP. Maybe we've seen

the last of those scouts."

"I don't know, Ron." Kim looked carefully through the rain, up the road ahead and back

down the road behind them. "I've got the same 'itchy' feeling I get when Bonnie is in the room

and I don't know it."

"Out west folks say the same thing about Injuns," Oscar remarked as he guided the horse

along the muddy, much-rutted road.

"Well, Bonnie isn't one of those," Kim replied grumpily. She considered how best to

describe the irritating queen of the Middleton High School social 'food chain' and then

remarked, "She's more like a strawberry seed that's always stuck between my teeth."

After a couple of minutes, Ron said, "I hope the bridge hasn't washed out."

"If it has, we'll just have to find another one that hasn't," said Kim absently.

At this point the rain almost stopped, although the low, threatening clouds continued to

press down. In silence they continued along the road toward the bridge until Oscar said,

"We're close to the river now, Miss Kim. Here's the bridge guard detail."

Looking ahead Kim saw a group of Union soldiers blocking the road. As the wagon

drew near to them she could see that one was the soldier they had met the day before when

they first crossed the bridge.

"Howdy, Tom," the boy called to his friend. "Is it all right to cross?"

The soldier replied, "She's still holdin', but the water's risin' again, Oscar. Lots of snags

comin' downstream, too. Did you have any luck with your foragin'?"

. "Nary a carrot! The Army's been here so long that the farms are all cleaned out," Oscar

answered. "At least we're still getting fresh meat from the Commissary."

"Yeah, it's better than the salt beef they like so much," Tom remarked. Then he turned

toward the other soldiers and called, "Let this wagon go through, boys!"

Oscar flicked the reins and shouted to get the horse going, and the wagon moved onto

the long approach to the bridge across the bottom land. The ground on either side seemed

even more swampy and water-logged than before, and as they rolled out onto the bridge itself,

the fast-flowing water looked darker and higher than it had yesterday. It only needed to come

up about two feet to reach the planks of the roadway, and there were a lot of bushes and tree

branches being swept along and under the bridge.

"Oscar, what did that soldier mean by 'snags' coming down the river?" Ron asked

nervously.

"Snags are trees that fall into a river and get stuck on the bottom," the boy calmly replied.

"The current makes 'em point downstream, an' if a steamboat's goin' up the river and hits a

snag, it'll rip the boat open!" He glanced at the swiftly-flowing waters. "When you have real

high water like this, they can break loose and come floatin' downstream."

Rufus poked his head out of his usual pocket and glanced around. Seeing the debris-

clogged water the mole rat gave a squeak of dismay and ducked back out of sight.

_I don't blame him a bit_, Kim thought, but she said nothing out loud. Then Oscar gave a

yell.

"Here's a big snag comin' down! Hang on!"

Kim glanced upstream to see the trunk and branches of a good-sized tree bearing down

on the bridge and heading straight toward the part the wagon was on. It had been stripped of

leaves and the bare branches looked like the claws of some strange river-monster reaching

for the planks and stringers of the bridge.

A moment later there was the crash of a collision, the snapping of timbers and branches

and the wagon sagged to one side ominously.

"One ot the wheels is stuck; I can't get the wagon moving!" Oscar shouted, tugging at the

reins while the horse whinnied in fright.

"Come on, Ron, let's try to clear it!" Kim shed her poncho and leaped out of the back of

the wagon onto the bridge, to be joined a moment later by Ron. They could see that the tree-

trunk was jammed between the beams supporting the roadway and the swiftly-flowing river,

lifting the roadway planks and tilting them. A thick, short branch that stuck up and over the

roadway from the main part of the tree had passed through the spokes of one of the wagon's

rear wheels and kept it from moving.

"We've got to break that branch on this side of the wheel," Kim shouted over the noise

of the river and the creaking of the bridge timbers. She braced herself on the tipping, swaying

roadway, grasped the branch and pulled, but it only bent slightly.

"Rufus! You're on!" Ron pulled his pet out and held him to where the offending branch

had to be broken. The mole rat wasted no time. He gnawed so rapidly that a spray of wood

chips flew off to one side, as if Ron was holding a tiny, pink chain saw to the wood. After half

a minute, Kim signaled for a pause, Ron and Rufus stepped back slightly, and she took a

fresh grip on the branch. Kim used all her experience and training at Kung-Fu to concentrate

on giving a sharp, sudden, twisting tug, and the branch snapped off.

Ron tossed Rufus into the wagon box and joined Kim as she braced herself against

the back of the wagon.

"Oscar, go!" Kim shouted, the two teens heaved and the boy shouted a command to the

horse. The wagon suddenly jerked forward and rolled up the bridge as the horse bolted for

safer ground. The boy yelled and pulled hard on the reins in an effort to stop the wagon but

the horse just kept going. Kim caught herself on her hands, but Ron went down flat on his

face, just as there was a loud CRACK from the timbers below the roadway.

Kim sprang back from the damaged section and Ron scuttled backwards on all fours.

They had just cleared the part of the bridge where the snag had hit when the planks and

stringers lifted off the piers and fell into the river. The snag moved through the gap and

floated downstream, leaving a fifteen-foot-wide gap in the bridge. Oscar, Rufus and the

wagon were on the north side of the break, but Kim and Ron were marooned on the south

side.

"What now, Kim?"

"Find a boat, Ron. Or swim."

The words were barely out of Kim's mouth when there was another loud CRACK and the

part of the bridge they were standing on dropped into the river! A moment later the two teens

popped to the surface amidst the scattered planks of the roadway.

Kim glanced around just in time to see the broken bridge vanish in the rain as they were

swept downstream. She dodged a piece of brush and saw it colide with Ron about ten feet

further along the river than she was. There was a series of splashes, the shrub went one way

and Ron went the other, swimming toward her.

"I'm coming — glurk! — KP! Hold on!" He slipped aside to avoid a plank and kept

stroking. Kim let the current push her toward her partner and then spotted one of the bridge

timbers coming toward them.

"Ron! Grab this one!" Kim threw her left arm over the plank and shoved it toward him

as they came together. When she swung the plank against her side Kim felt Ron's right arm

come over the top of the board and grasp the timber. They had worked together so many

times no words were needed as they began kicking, and stroking with their free arms, to drive

the plank toward the river bank and the flooded bottom land. But the river seemed to have

other plans.

The current pushed the plank they held back toward the center of the stream, turned it

toward the opposite bank and then spun it around several times. _This river is fighting us,_ Kim

thought grimly, _and it wants to win! Well, so do I!_

Kim and Ron kept stroking and were making headway toward the north bank when they

slid onto a sandbar and lifted their heads to see a hump of ground above the water right

beside them.

Kim scrambled up and onto the hump with Ron right behind her. Looking around she

could hardly see anything but water through the rain, which had become a steady downpour.

"I think this is the normal shoreline of the river, Ron."

"How can you tell, KP? There's water all around," her partner replied, with a wave of one

arm.

"That water's flowing fast," Kim explained, pointing to her left. "But on this side it's hardly

moving at all," she added, pointing to the wide surface to her right. "The current must've

swept us to one side of the channel, and our swimming did the rest."

"Okay; what's our next move?"

"Find shallow places to walk in so we can get back to the road." Kim picked up a

length of tree-branch and began probing the water around her. There was a deep drop-off to

the left and a shallow one to the right, but she could feel solid bottom going upstream parallel

to the current that was rushing past them.

Kim led the way, carefully checking the bottom to avoid stepping back into the main river

channel. The safe path wound left and right, making progress a slow, muddy slog. After a

while there was a brief lull in the rain and Ron spotted a ridge of raised ground ahead of them

that seemed to stretch out of sight to the right. He called it to Kim's attention.

"Yes, I see it. And I think the rest of the bridge is over there." She pointed to the left.

"Yeah . . . it looks like something's there. Badical! We're almost out of this stuff." Both

teens' feet had been squelching in mud much too long for comfort, and the thought of dry

ground was enticing.

They pushed ahead until they could see that the ridge was, in fact, the road across the

bottom land from the bridge to higher ground, but just as they came up to it, Ron gave a yelp

and sank up to his waist in the water. Kim turned to help him and promptly stepped into the

same underwater hole that had trapped her partner. Kim could tell that her legs were knee-

deep in mud; getting out of it was clearly going to be a problem.

A moment later, four figures in blue uniforms appeared on the bridge approach and

pointed muskets fitted with bayonets down at them.

"Halt! Who are yuh, an' what're yuh doin' there?"

Ron gave a groan. "Aw, man! Here we go again, Kim."

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Once again Kim and Ron are on the wrong end of guns. They might feel like saying, as Arthur Dent once remarked, "Why isn't anybody ever glad to see us?" . . .

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticisms are appreciated, and will be replied to.


	12. Chapter 12

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Twelve: Saved by the Cavalry**

**Author's Comments:** The Empath has left in the stolen TARDIS, destination unknown. While heading back to the Balloon Corps camp, Kim and Ron got left on the south side of the Chickahominy River when part of the bridge washed away;. Then they got dumped in the river when more of the bridge collapsed. After swimming across and getting ashore, they had a slow muddy trek back to the roadway, where they were confronted by a group of Union soldiers who ordered them to halt and identify themselves. Things _have_ to start getting better soon, don't they?

Read on . . .

Kim gave a sigh of frustration. 'Halt?' Stuck in the mud this way, she and Ron could

hardly move! But she remembered how the Doctor had handled this sort of thing and looked

firmly at the soldier who had challenged them.

"When you find people who are stuck in a swamp, soldier, the proper thing to do is get

them out of the muck _first_, and _then _find out who they are." To her credit, Kim kept the

annoyance out of her voice.

Amazed, the soldier lowered his musket and peered at Kim and Ron through the rain.

Before he could say anything Ron spoke to Kim in a very casual way.

"Maybe that's army regulations, Kim. They have to say 'halt' instead of 'hello' when they

meet somebody."

"Could be, Ron," Kim agreed. "You might throw us a rope or something, and pull us out

of here," she added to the soldiers on the road.

"They don't sound like Rebs to me, Bill," one of the other men remarked.

"Maybe they're the folks we're lookin' fer," a third man added.

A pair of horses with riders seemed to materialize through the falling rain and a clear, firm

voice called out, "Corporal! Have you found them?"

At the sound of the rider's voice the corporal straightened up, turned around and saluted.

"I reckon so, Lieutenant. Anyway, they talk sorta funny, an' they don't sound like rebs."

The officer rode closer. As soon as he got a clear look at the situation his voice became

stern.

"Pass them a rope and haul them out of that swamp, Corporal!"

One of the other soldiers tossed the end of a rope to Ron, and the four men dragged the

teen up onto the bridge approach. As soon as he could, Ron freed himself from the rope,

threw the loose end back to Kim, and began pulling her out of the swamp with the aid of the

soldiers.

Once she was on the high ― and dry! ― ground of the bridge approach, Kim looked

closely at the officer on his horse. He had blue eyes, a handsome face and wore a large,

bushy mustache. His hair, like the mustache, was yellow with a touch of red in it, and was

fairly long. Kim had already noticed that long hair seemed to be the norm for men in 1862, but

this man's hair was longer than that of the other soldiers she'd seen. His uniform seemed to

be well-tailored, in comparison to the other soldier's clothes.

"Are you the two young people who got left on the south bank when the bridge broke?"

the officer politely asked.

"That's us," Ron replied. "Unless there's somebody else that fell in."

"Yes ― part of the bridge fell and dropped us in the river," Kim explained.

"Well, you'd better come with me, then. Your friend and his wagon are waiting for

you up the road." He pointed along the bridge approach toward the higher ground, and then

bent over and offered Kim a hand. "You can ride behind me for a hundred yards or so, can't

you?"

"She's Kim Possible, General; she can do anything!" Ron said as Kim grasped the hand

and was swung up onto the horse.

"I'm just a lieutenant, lad," the officer laughed. "Aide-de-camp to General McClellan."

Then he told the soldier on the other horse to give Ron a lift. It took two tries and a certain

amount of teetering, but the boy was finally seated behind the trooper's saddle, just as

Kim was seated behind the officer.

As the two horses set off at a careful pace along the road Kim said, "Did Oscar send

you to find us, Lieutenant?

"Yes, Miss Possible. His horse refused to stop until it reached the high ground, where

I met him. The boy was very insistent that something be done to rescue you two. He said that

you and your uncle are guests of Professor Thaddeus Lowe, and he couldn't go back to the

balloon camp and say that he'd lost you both."

"That's right," Kim replied. "The wagon got stuck and when Ron and I got it loose the

horse ran away with it." She went on to explain that they had been dumped in the river,

battled their way out of the water, and then slogged their way back to the road.

The lieutenant seemed to be impressed. "Your friend is right; you do appear to be

able to do anything. Ah, here's your friend and his wagon."

Just then the rain eased up considerably and Kim saw the wagon at the side of the road.

An anxious-looking Oscar was standing in it with Rufus on his shoulder. The boy waved and

called out to them.

"Miss Kim! Ron! Are you all right?"

"Wet and muddy, dude, but still in one piece," Ron answered. The two cavalrymen

stopped their horses alongside the wagon so that the teens could get down directly into

the wagon box. Then the lieutenant turned to the other rider and told him, "Notify the other

patrols that the lost is found, Quincannon; then report back to headquarters. I'll see that

these people get back to the Balloon Corps camp safely."

"Yes, sir!" The trooper saluted, turned his mount and rode off, while Ron retrieved Rufus

and then sat down beside Kim. Oscar picked up the reins, gave a command to his horse and

the wagon headed back up the road.

Riding alongside the wagon, the lieutenant told them that Oscar had wanted to bring the

wagon out to the end of the bridge and join the search for Kim and Ron. "I ordered him to

stay here and wait, instead. Turning a wagon around on that narrow roadway would be very

difficult." He glanced at the boy and smiled. "He only agreed when I sent out patrols to find

you."

"Hey, thanks, Oscar!" Ron reached up and slapped the boy on the back.

As they passed the tents and troops clustered around Army Headquarters, Ron asked

why the lieutenant had been on the road, out in the rain, when Oscar had met him.

"General McClellan wanted to know if the bridge would hold, what with the river rising in

this rain," the officer answered, smiling ruefully. ""I've had experience in military engineering,

and I'm the newest aide-de-camp, so I was sent to check on the condition of the bridge." He

gestured toward Oscar. "I met your friend on my way to the river."

"Well, you can't use that bridge now," Ron said helpfully. "It's busted."

"We'll get it fixed," the lieutenant replied. "Soldiers can build bridges almost as fast as

they can destroy them."

When the wagon came to the place where the narrow track led from the road to the

Balloon Corps camp, Oscar stopped the horse and spoke to the officer.

"We'll be all right now, Lieutenant," said the boy. "Thanks for helping me get them back."

"Not at all, lad," the cavalryman replied. "Glad to be of service."

"Thank you for sending out the patrols, Lieutenant . . . " Kim hesitated. "I'm sorry, but I

don't know your name."

"Custer, Miss Possible. George Armstrong Custer, Lieutenant, United States Cavalry."

He gave them a crisp salute, wheeled his horse and rode off toward Union Army headquarters.

"KP! Do you think that's - " Ron began, but Kim made a shushing motion and nodded

toward Oscar.

_That soldier will die on a hill beside the Little Big Horn River in fourteen years_, Kim

thought sadly. _But I _can't _warn him or it would change history ― maybe for the worse. He's_

_so polite and handsome, too._

After staring after Lieutenant Custer for a full minute, Kim shook her head, looked up at

the sky, and remarked, "I think we're getting back just in time, Ron. It looks like the really

heavy rain is about to start."

"Huh?" Ron and Rufus chorused, to be echoed by a massive clap of thunder which was

immediately followed by a major downpour. "I think you're right, KP."

The rest of the journey back to the Balloon Corps camp was mostly passed in soggy

silence. The repeated thunder and steady rain made conversation difficult, and water quickly

began to accumulate in the wagon bed.

"Isn't there a drain in this thing?" Ron asked Oscar as the water level rose.

"Nope. It's supposed to be watertight so it'll float if you hit high water crossing a creek,"

the boy answered. "But there's two buckets under the seat if you want 'em," he added

helpfully.

Kim found the buckets, passed one to Ron and started scooping up the water and

dumping it over the side.

"I never thought I'd have to bail out a wagon on land," Ron observed as he followed Kim's

example.

The last mile of the trip back to the Balloon Corps camp was spent bailing out the rain

that fell into the wagon box and trying to keep from getting any wetter. The ponchos and old

hats they all wore helped, but Kim and Ron were still soaked from their accidental swim.

Finally the wagon pulled up in front of Captain Lawrence's tent. The Sergeant of the Guard

was standing under the canvas roof in front of the tent when Oscar brought the horse to a

halt, and looked at them with a mixture of amusement and respect.

"Bejabbers if it isn't the 'drowned-rat patrol' come home again! You'd better put that

horse away, me bucko," he said to Oscar, "and get yourself dried off." Then he glanced at

Kim and Ron.

"You two get over to the guest tent, and I'll bring you some dry clothes and hot coffee."

"Thank you, Sergeant," Kim replied as she and Ron climbed down from the wagon. "Hot

coffee sounds like a good idea, just now."

They squished over to the guest tent where Kim paused at the entrance and called,

"Can we come in, Doctor?"

"Certainly, Kimberly; come right in," the Doctor's voice answered. A moment later he

pulled the tent flap aside and bekoned for Kim and Ron to enter. There was a lighted oil

lamp on the table and the floor was dry, due to the fact that the tent was on a slight rise in the

ground. It was also warm, thanks to a small metal stove with a good fire in it.

The Doctor shook his head at the sight of the two teens.

"You didn't have to swim across the river, I hope?"

"No, Doctor, just half of it," Kim replied. "The bridge collapsed under us."

"Have you got a towel?" Ron asked as he pulled Rufus out of his usual pocket. "I don't

want Rufus to get too cold."

The Doctor handed Ron a rough towel made of homespun wool. The boy quickly

wrapped his pet in it and parked him on the table beside the lighted lamp.

Kim got out the envelope with her 'passport' and was surprised to see that it was perfectly

dry. She opened it and found that the list of dates she had picked up in the Empath's cabin

was also dry and undamaged.

Seeing Kim's puzzled expression the Doctor explained, "It's water-repellent paper,

Kimberly. Guaranteed to keep itself and anything inside the envelope dry."

Kim nodded, and then handed the list to the Doctor, along with her copy of the strange

writing they had found. She explained what they were and added, "I thought you might be

able to figure out what this writing means."

Just then there was a call from outside. "Here's some coffee and dry clothes for yez."

Ron let the sergeant in. He set down a small kettle of hot Union Army coffee, and gave

the boy a sack.

"There's shirts and pants in there for both of yez that should fit, an' the cook'll have

supper ready soon." The two teens thanked him, and the sergeant left.

"You can change behind that partition, Kimberly," the Doctor said absently as he studied

the list and her notes. "Oh, and be careful of that Sibley Stove; it's hot," he added.

Kim found two shirts, two trousers and two large towels in the sack. She picked out a

shirt and trousers that seemed likely to fit her and went behind the canvas partition. There

she took off her water-soaked socks, shirt and trousers and did her best to dry herself. Her

ponytail had come undone and the muddy river had changed the color of Kim's hair from red

to a dirty auburn shade. But there was nothing to do about it, so she pulled on the dry clothes

the sergeant had brought.

The shirt and trousers were about two sizes too big, but Kim decided they would do.

After wringing out her socks three times she took them back to the main part of the tent.

The Doctor was still studying the papers she had given him, Ron was drying his socks at the

stove, while Rufus, asleep and wrapped in his towel, was snoring softly.

"Hey, Kim, give me those and I'll dry 'em out." Ron put his own socks down and held out

a hand to take Kim's.

"Thanks." Kim then turned to the Time Lord with a question. "Can you understand what

that Empath wrote, Doctor?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes, Kimberly. It appears to be information on Earth's history that he

learned while talking to people at the Columbian Exposition. Also some notations about how

to blend in with the population in different eras. It's interesting, but this list of dates you found

is much more important!" He gestured at the table where two tin plates of boiled meat and

vegetables waited, along with two steaming cups of coffee. "Have something to eat; then we

can discuss your find."

Kim and Ron tackled their food with a vengeance. Both teens were hungry and what

supper lacked in flavor it made up for by being hot and filling. Once they had eaten Ron went

back to drying Kim's socks while she spoke with the Doctor. He was still studying the list

of dates.

"Did something happen on those dates that the Empath would be likely to visit?" Kim

asked.

"Indeed there was. It has tomorrow's date, to start with . . . "

"The Battle of Fair Oaks, right?" Kim interrupted.

"Yes. Then the siege and fall of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, the Battle of

Bladensburg outside Washington, the siege of Fort McHenry, and the Battle of Cowpens."

The Doctor looked up from the list he'd been studying and added, "They were all important

events with lots of emotional tension in the air. Just what our friend would like to witness."

"But where is he likely to go, now that he seems to have left 1862, Doctor? How do

we find him?"

"We'll just go to the different times and places and scan for the presence of another

TARDIS. If he shows up during the critical times, we'll know it."

"Here's your socks, Kim." Ron handed the now-dry items to her. "Give the Doctor your

shoes; he said he can get them clean and dry for you."

"Okay . . . " Kim broke off with a wide yawn. "Sorry, Ron. I guess I'm tired."

"Swimming a flooded river and slogging through five miles of swamp can do that to you,

KP." Ron paused to yawn himself, and then shook his head to wake up again.

"It was less than a mile, but you're right; slogging is for the birds." Kim got up and went

behind the canvas screen to fetch her soaked and mud-caked shoes. When she returned she

found Ron stretched out on one cot and already half asleep. Without a word she put her

shoes down beside the Doctor's chair and tottered off to her own cot. Suddenly all the day's

activity seemed to be catching up to her. Kim stretched out, pulled a blanket over her and fell

into some much-needed sleep.

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876) was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Cavalry upon his graduation from the U. S Military Academy, West Point, in 1861. He had a marvelous sense of topography, as well as an instinctive sense of direction, both of which he put to good use on tactical reconnaissance missions. As a result of his success at these he came to the attention of General George McClellan, the commander of the Union Army, who offered Custer the position of aide-de-camp on his personal staff. Custer accepted and was appointed as of May 28, 1862, so he would have been at the right time and place for Kim and Ron to meet him.

The Sibley Stove was invented by Henry Hopkins Sibley (1816 - 1886), who was a Captain in the U. S. Army before the Civil War. In 1856 he received a U. S. patent for a conical tent that he had designed, and during the Civil War the Union bought 44,000 tents of this type. However, Sibley never got any royalties for those tents, for he had resigned from the U. S. Army on May 13, 1861, and joined the Confederate Army. The stove was a very practical design, and was used widely.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticisms are appreciated, and will be replied to.


	13. Chapter 13

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Thirteen: Need A Lift?**

**Author's Comments:** Kim and Ron got back to the Balloon Corps camp safely and turned in for some much-needed rest. But the next day is May 31, 1862, and the Battle of Fair Oaks is going to happen. Will the Doctor and Team Possible quietly slip away while everyone is busy? Or will Kim's drive to help anybody in trouble get the better of her?

Read on . . .

Kim woke to the smell of hot coffee . . . and toast? She blinked, stretched and sat up.

Yes, she was still on the cot in the guest tent, but she was sure that she could smell toasted

bread. Her shirt and trousers were lying folded on a small wooden box at the foot of the cot,

and her shoes ― now perfectly clean and dry ― were on the floor beside the box. After

changing out of the clothes that the sergeant had provided and slipping on her shoes, Kim

went to investigate the savory smells coming from the other side of the partition.

She found Ron carefully toasting some 'revitalized' hardtack on the Sibley Stove and

Rufus munching away at some hardtack and cheese. Ron looked up as she came around the

canvas wall.

"Hi, Kim. I was going to call you in another minute. There's hot coffee, condensed milk

and blackberry jam for the toast. Are you hungry?"

"Is Shego's skin green? But where did you get the jam, Ron?"

"Captain Lawrence sent it over. It came in a food parcel his family sent him from home,"

Ron explained. He brought the 'toast' over to the table and sat down.

"I hope you thanked him for it," Kim remarked as she sat down on the other side of the

small table. "Good morning, Rufus. How's the cheese?"

The mole rat looked up, smiled broadly and chirped, "Okay!" Then he went back to his

breakfast. Kim and Ron promptly followed the mole rat's example.

They had all just finished eating when the Doctor and Oscar entered the tent. The Doctor

wore his typical grin and wasn't limping any more.

"Ah, good to see everyone is up and about. You both must have been very tired,

Kimberly. Ronald woke up only half an hour ago, and the morning's over half gone already.

But the rain has stopped, and like Tweedledum and Tweedledee we're going to have a battle!"

Kim came to the alert at once, and began fishing in her memory for information about the

Battle of Fair Oaks from her history report.

"The Professor went to Mechanicsville, so's he could go up in the _Washington_ an' watch

the Rebs," Oscar blurted. "They're moving east on the south side o' the Chickahominy,

headin' for General Keyes' troops. What's more, most of the bridges over the river washed

out in the night."

"It rained a lot, did it?" Kim asked crisply, slipping into her 'mission mode' at once.

"A real whopper of a storm!" the boy replied. "The Chickahominy must look like the

Mississippi by now."

"That's why having one's army on two sides of a river is seldom good military tactics,"

the Doctor said mildly. "But I believe that bridge repairs are underway with all dispatch," he

added.

"If the Confederate Army's moving east, will they come here?"

"Not a chance, Ronald," the Doctor reassured him. "Trying to cross that flooded river

in the face of a strongly superior force would be idiotic. And the Confederate commanders,"

he added thoughtfully, "are not idiots."

"But if they attack the Fourth Corps that Keyes is commanding they will have superior

force at the point of contact," the Doctor went on. "Not a pleasant situation, to be sure."

"General Keyes will stop 'em!" Oscar said stoutly. "Just you wait an' see."

They heard shouts and commands being given outside. Ron popped Rufus into his

pocket, and everyone went out to see what new development was in the wind. At once Kim

noticed that some of the Balloon Corps men were working with one of the hydrogen generator

wagons which was connected to the balloon they had seen when they first arrived at the

camp. Others were laying out a large mass of fabric and working with a second generator

wagon.

Puzzled, Ron asked, "What's going on, Oscar?"

The boy pointed first at the men working with the inflated balloon, and then to the men

with the fabric. "Those boys are adding some gas to the _Constitution_ to get it full up. Those

others are layin' out the _Intrepid_, an' gettin' ready to inflate it, too."

"Let's get closer. But considering the flammable nature of the hydrogen that they're

putting into those balloons, not _too_ close!" the Doctor carefully remarked. Then he set off

toward the balloons. Kim, Ron and Oscar followed him down the gentle slope from the guest

tent.

Captain Lawrence was speaking to one of the men working on the _Intrepid_, and when he

saw the Doctor, Kim, Ron and Oscar coming, he waved them over.

"It appears you'll have a chance to see military balloon operations from short range,

Doctor. We've received a telegraph message from Professor Lowe, and he wants this large

balloon inflated as quickly as possible. He'll be here, shortly, and I expect he'll be going up

to observe the Rebel forces once he arrives."

"Well, then, I'd better start taking notes," the Doctor remarked, and he pulled out a

leather-bound notebook from an inside coat pocket. Kim noticed that the cover had a crest

of some kind embossed in the leather, and when the Doctor flipped it open he began writing

busily. _He seems to be prepared for everything! _Kim thought.

"Oscar, I want you to see that these people don't get hurt," Captain Lawrence told the

boy.

"Yes, sir! I'll do that." As he answered, Oscar came to attention and saluted.

Chuckling, the Captain began walking back to his tent, while Kim, Ron, Oscar and the

Doctor watched the activity with the two balloons. Oscar explained in detail how the hydrogen

generators worked while the Doctor asked questions and made notes. As they watched the

men working on the _Intrepid_ Ron began asking questions about the process, which Oscar

answered in considerable detail. After some time the Doctor looked at Kim and remarked,

"I think all this information will really please the Brigadier."

"That's nice, 'Uncle,'" Kim remarked absently. "But isn't one of those men Professor

Lowe?" She pointed to a pair of riders who were galloping into camp, heading for the balloon

_Constitution_.

"Yes, I believe it is," he replied. They all walked toward Professor Lowe, who had

dismounted and appeared to be dictating something to another man, who was writing rapidly

in a notebook. Just before they reached him, Lowe took a sheet of paper from this man,

signed it, handed it to the other rider and spoke urgently to him.

"This is for General McClellan. Be sure you hand it to him, personally; now, go!"

The man remounted his horse, gave a shout and headed off at a gallop. Lowe

immediately turned and spoke briefly with the head of the group around the smaller balloon.

But before Kim or the Doctor could speak with him, Lowe joined a man who was already in

the balloon basket and gave a command that they heard clearly: "Let her up!"

The balloon rose smoothly, while gangs of men held on to the four ropes that were

attached to it. Two men stood to one side, watching the buoyant sphere climb toward the

clouds. Oscar went over to one of the men and asked him something. He answered, but

Kim didn't catch what was said.

As the boy rejoined them, Ron asked, "What's up, Oscar? Besides the balloon, I mean."

"The Professor came here so he can see what's happening," the boy explained.

"The Rebs have moved east from Richmond, an' we're closer to 'em than the balloon at

Mechanicsville is."

"Hey, will they shoot at him with that gun of theirs, do you think?"

At Ron's question Oscar shook his head. "Nope. They only shoot when a balloon's

comin' down, not goin' up. Anyway, General Keyes' boys will keep 'em too busy to bother

with us."

They watched the balloon rise until it was about five hundred feet above them, where it

came to a stop. After a short time, Kim began looking around at the camp in general, until

something odd caught her eye.

"Oscar, what's that for?" Kim pointed at a thin line that was fastened to one of the

mooring lines, and went up to the balloon basket.

"It's a telgraph wire. See, it goes to the telegraph station." Oscar pointed to a length of

wire laid out along the ground and leading to a tent. He went on to explain that the wire from

the balloon could be connected to a line that went to General McClellan's headquarters, or

another wire that went back to Washington. "Right to the White House," the boy finished.

"Fascinating!" the Doctor remarked. "Instant battlefield reporting to army headquarters

or the President." He nodded thoughfully. "With something like this, the Emperor Napoleon

might have won the Battle of Waterloo."

"If it's so useful, why is he coming down?" Kim's question alerted them all to the fact that

the _Constitution_ was being hauled downwards by the men on the ropes. Kim started to join

the men on one of the ropes, but the Doctor drew her back with a shake of his head.

"Those men know just what to do, Kimberly. Don't disturb them."

As they watched the balloon come down Kim had to admit to herself that the Balloon

Corps men were handling the task efficiently. Once the basket was on the ground they

hooked a number of sandbags to it, and as Professor Lowe and his companion got out,

the ground crew put several more sandbags in the basket, in their place.

Lowe had hurried off to where the _Intrepid_ was being inflated, so Kim, Ron, Oscar and

the Doctor followed him. At first Lowe spoke to the man in charge of the inflation, then walked

around the balloon, and stopped near them. He gave a sigh of frustration, lifted his hat, and

ran a hand through his hair, as if there were something important that he needed to have

done, but it wasn't possible.

"You seem to be troubled, Professor Lowe," the Doctor remarked. "Is there anything we

could do to help resolve the problem?"

"Eh? Oh, good afternoon, Doctor. Yes, I have a real problem at hand, and the answer is

obvious. But I have no way to effect the solution."

"Is something wrong with that balloon?" Kim asked, pointing at the _Constitution_. "You

went up and then came down again so quickly."

"Did it spring a leak?" Ron remarked.

"No, it's in fine shape. But when it's carrying myself, the telegraph operator, and his

equipment, it cannot rise high enough to give me a clear view of the Rebel forces." Lowe

turned to look at the partially-inflated _Intrepid_, which now looked like a big fabric dome fifteen

feet high sitting on the ground.

"The Rebel movements are screened from view by trees and the rise of the ground.

I could see what they're up to and telegraph General McClellan details of their activity if I

could only get another five hundred feet of altitude. But this needs to be done _now_, and it will

take at least another hour to finish the inflation of the _Intrepid_."

"Could you transfer the gas from the small balloon into the big one?" Kim inquired,

glancing at where the _Constitution_ was tied down.

"Certainly. If I had a suitable pipe to connect them." Lowe spoke politely, but they could

see he was very frustrated. "However, it would take the blacksmith at least an hour to make

one. And just now an hour's observation time is worth a million dollars a minute!"

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

The Doctor's comment about having a battle "likeTweedledum and Tweedledee" comes from an old English nursery rhyme. In the rhyme the two brothers decide to have to fight because Tweedledee had broken Tweedledum's new rattle.

During the Civil War it was only possible to shoot at a target with a cannon if the gunners could actually see the target, and guns could only elevate about five or six degrees. Therefore, when a Union balloon went up and came into view from the Confederate lines, the gunners did not have enough time to position, load and aim a cannon before the balloon was too high to be hit. Only when a balloon was being pulled down was there enough time to prepare a cannon and take careful aim in the hopes of hitting it.

The Doctor's remark about Napoleon and observation balloons is based on fact. Soon after the French Revolution, the French government appropriated funds to experiment with balloons for military observation. After several demonstrations, on March 29, 1794, the French authorities set up the world's first air force, known as the _Compagnie d' Aérostiers_. On June 26, 1794, a French military balloon played an important part in the Battle of Fleurus when the French general watched the battle from a balloon, dropping written orders to his staff on the ground when necessary. Fleurus is considered to be the first battle in history where mastery of the air played a decisive part. However, in 1797 Napoleon took a balloon company along when he invaded Egypt, but made no use of it, and on returning to France he disbanded the _Compagnie d' Aérostiers_. Eighteen years later an observation balloon might have been very useful at the Battle of Waterloo . . . if Napoleon had only had one.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticisms are appreciated, and will be replied to.


	14. Chapter 14

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Fourteen: How to Pass the Gas?**

**Author's Comments:** Kim says that she can do anything, and now she is facing a very interesting problem. How can you quickly transfer several thousand cubic feet of hydrogen gas from a small balloon to a larger one? If she does it, will this modify history in any way? And will Team Possible and the Doctor be able to get back to the TARDIS and continue their hunt for the Empath without be obnvious about it?

Read on . . .

_A metal pipe to connect the two balloons . . . _ Kim spun the idea around in her mind for

all of thirty seconds. _That should work._

"Just a minute, everybody, I've got an idea!" She turned and raced toward the guest

tent, drawing puzzled looks from the Doctor and Professor Lowe. Ron, however, nodded in a

satisfied way.

"Ronald, do you know what Kimberly is up to?" the Doctor inquired.

"Nope. But if I know KP, she's going to solve the Professor's problem," Ron replied

smugly. Rufus stuck his head out of his pocket, nodded vigorously and chirped, "Uh-huh!"

Lowe turned back to gaze at the balloon _Intrepid_ as it slowly grew larger. "If you have

ever wondered what a man at his wits' end looks like, Doctor, just observe my appearance

at the present time."

Ron was looking toward the guest tent, and he now saw Kim trotting back to join them

at the balloons, with the kettle that had held their breakfast coffee in one hand. She rushed

over to Thaddeus Lowe, showed him the kettle and said, "Why not use this, Professor?" In

an instant Lowe's face lit up with joy.

"Yes, that's it, Miss Possible! If the bottom is cut off it becomes a ten-inch pipe almost

a foot long; it will be perfect! That's brilliant!"

Kim shrugged. "It's no big; anybody could think of it." She handed the camp kettle to

Lowe and he turned to Oscar.

"Take this to the blacksmith and tell him that I need to have the bottom cut out of this

_right now!_" The boy took the kettle and was off toward a distant tent like a flash! Lowe turned

and began giving a stream of orders to the men around the balloons, and at once the area

burst into a series of rapid operations. Kim, Ron and the Doctor moved back to leave room

for those who obviously knew what they were doing.

A large group of men surrounded the _Constitution_ and pulled the smaller balloon down,

while others detached the balloon basket and moved it out of the way. By the time this was

done Oscar had returned with the kettle — now transformed into a short pipe — which was

passed to three men under the small balloon.

"What's that hanging down from the balloon, 'Uncle?' It looks like a cloth tube," Kim

said carefully, as she watched the men at work.

"It's called the appendix, Kimberly. The gas is put into the balloon through it, and when

the balloon ascends and the gas expands, the excess can escape the same way." The Doctor

studied the activity critically and continued. "They're lashing the appendix tightly around that

'pipe,' and can then connect this larger balloon to the other end. Pull the small one down and

the gas will flow from the smaller into the larger envelope, inflating it."

"Sort of like pouring soda from a big cup into a Slurpster, eh?" Ron asked interestedly.

Kim frowned and gave him a nudge.

"Don't say 'Slurpster,' Ron. That hasn't been invented yet," she muttered.

"Oops!" Rufus commented softly.

Once the appendix of the _Constitution_ was connected to the 'pipe,' the small balloon

was pulled alongside the _Intrepid_ where the men had disconnected the hydrogen generator.

Then Kim noticed that Oscar was slowly, carefully, climbing up the side of the smaller balloon.

The boy kept going until he was at the top, while Professor Lowe moved away from the

balloon to keep Oscar in sight. Kim walked over to Lowe and cleared her throat to get his

attention.

"Oh, did you have a question, Miss Possible?"

"Yes, Professor," Kim answered, "I wondered why Oscar is sitting on top of this

balloon. Does he have to open a stuck valve or something?"

"Oh, no. It's just that some extra weight on the top of the envelope will make the gas

flow from the _Constitution_ to the _Intrepid_ more rapidly," Lowe explained.

Kim nodded and considered the sitch carefully.

"I can climb that net and add more weight up there, if you think it would help."

"Well, yes, it would help." Lowe hesitated for a moment. "But you would have to be

very careful and avoid making the balloon roll over onto you as you go up." He turned to look

at the men who were lashing the appendix of the _Intrepid_ to the pipe. "The connection will be

complete and the gas will be flowing in another minute. Once that happens this balloon won't

be as stable as it was when Oscar went up."

"Suppose Ron climbed up one side and I went up the other?" Kim glanced back toward

her friend and partner, to see that he had followed her over to where the Professor stood.

"Yes . . . that should be all right," Lowe said thoughtfully. "Very well; go ahead!"

"Come on, Ron; mission time!" Kim quickly explained what they were going to do to

Ron, and to the Doctor, who had rejoined them. The two teens then removed their shoes and

passed them to the Doctor for safekeeping. Kim went around the smaller balloon until she

was opposite the place where Ron stood. Then, carefully gripping the mesh of the net that

covered the balloon itself, they started to climb.

The mesh was just big enough to accomodate her feet, and Kim could get an even

better grip with her hands. She was about one-third of the way up the side when she heard

a yelp from Ron and the Doctor called out to her.

"Hold up, Kimberly! Ronald lost his grip and fell back."

"Is Ron all right?" Kim immediately asked.

"Yes. He's starting up again; I'll tell you when he's as high up on the envelope as you

are," the time lord answered calmly. After about a minute the Doctor called out, "All right,

Kimberly! Carry on climbing!"

It took Kim barely a minute to reach the top of the _Constitution_ where she met Ron.

They found Oscar calmly sitting on the gasbag, watching the bulk of the _Intrepid_, which was

steadily growing more inflated and rising higher. At the same time Kim could feel the small

balloon settling beneath her as the gas in it rushed through the connecting pipe.

"I think we can get down soon," the boy remarked. "It looks like it's almost ready to go

up." He pointed at the _Intrepid_ as he spoke. Just then they heard Professor Lowe call out to

them.

"All right, Miss Possible! You can all come down now!"

"Well, that was quick," Ron remarked. "I guess we go down the same way we came up,

right?"

"I'd say so," Kim answered. "If you start down on that side while I start down on this

side. and Oscar follows me down, that should keep things balanced. Shouldn't it, Oscar?"

"Thats how I'd do it, Miss Kimberly," the boy nodded. "But don't go down too fast,"

he cautioned.

Kim and Ron began backing down, carefully grasping the net and feeling for footholds

with their feet. Kim was about halfway down when she heard Ron give another yelp and the

balloon bag began to roll slowly toward her. She realized at once what had happened: Ron

had slipped off the balloon and dropped to the ground, and now her weight ― and Oscar's ―

was rolling the balloon over onto them! Kim promptly kicked her feet free and let go of the

net, sliding down to the ground where she landed with a cheerleader's roll away from the big

mass of fabric looming over her.

Fortunately the ground was not far. Kim sprang to her feet and moved back, shouting

to Oscar as she did so.

"Oscar, let go! I'll catch you!"

The boy followed instructions perfectly, and dropped about six feet to a 'catch-and-roll'

by Kim. As they both sat up the _Constitution_ stopped rolling and settled back. Kim bounced to

her feet again and ran quickly around the balloon to see if Ron was hurt, and found him lying

on his back with a bemused expression.

"Ron, are you all right?"

"Oh, sure, Kim; the ground broke my fall."

"Nicely done, Kimberly," said the Doctor, as he came up to the two teens. "Here, you'd

better put these back on," he added, handing them their shoes.

As they replaced their footgear, they looked at the _Intrepid_. It was riding well above the

ground and a crew was connecting the basket to the rigging and making it ready to ascend.

Professor Lowe turned from the balloon, hurried over to them, and asked, "Are you both all

right?"

"Might have a bruise or two," Ron replied, "but no more than that."

"We're fine, Professor Lowe. How is Oscar? Was he hurt?" Kim asked.

"Oh, he's all right. In fact the little imp asked if he could go up on this ascension with

me!" Lowe smiled for a moment. "But with myself, the telegraph operator and his equipment

to lift, it's not feasible."

"Don't let us keep you from your duties, Professor," said the Doctor. "Come along

Kimberly, Ronald. We'd better move back and let these people get on with the war."

As they moved off about fifty yards, Ron reclaimed Rufus from the Doctor, who told Kim

that he'd been entrusted with the mole rat while Ron had climbed the balloon.

"It wouldn't have done to have his claws cut into the fabric," he explained.

The _Intrepid_ was already rising as the ground crew let out the mooring lines, but the

Doctor drew their attention to a pair of men standing some distance to one side, with a large

box mounted on a tripod.

"We may have another famous person with us, Kimberly. I believe that is none other

than Mathew B. Brady and his assistant, D. B. Woodbury." Ron looked blank and Rufus

squeaked, "Huh?" Kim, however, thought the name was familiar.

"Brady . . . oh, yes! He was a photographer during the Civil War, wasn't he?"

"Yes. His wartime work is a priceless historical record of the conflict." The Doctor

frowned in thought. "He took a picture of the _Intrepid_, just about the time you went over to talk

to Professor Lowe. Perhaps you're even in the picture," he added with his usual grin.

Kim gulped. "Could that cause history to change somehow?"

"Unlikely. You'd just be one more person standing around the balloon. But come now.

We'd better get back to the TARDIS and be on our way. Remember, we still have that

Empath to catch."

"We have to 'balloon and run,' eh?" Ron observed. "I wonder if they'll remember us?"

Kim rolled her eyes at Ron's remark. "I don't remember my name or yours in any of the

sources I used for my history report, Ron."

"I believe you said that 'Anything is possible ― for a Possible,' didn't you?" the Doctor

said to Kim as they quietly walked back through the Balloon Corps camp and went up the

rising ground toward the patch of woods that contained the smoke-house. Kim glanced

around several times, but everyone else in the camp seemed to be busy with the operation of

the balloon. Also, in the distance to the south she could hear noises that were growing louder

every minute. It was the sound of the Battle of Fair Oaks.

They entered the small patch of woods and worked their way through it until they found

the rough-cut log-and-plank hut. Ron tried the door but couldn't open it. He turned to the

Doctor with a questioning look.

"Yes, I locked it, Ronald. One can't be too careful, you know," the Doctor said, with a

pleased expression.

Kim remembered how she and Ron had first entered the TARDIS ― the Doctor hadn't

locked it when he and K-9 had gone out at the Middleton Mall. She managed to hide a smile.

"Well, now you'll have to unlock the door for us, Doctor." Kim gestured at the smoke-

house as she spoke. The Doctor promptly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and went to work

on the lock. After a short series of hums and buzzes, there was a sharp 'click.'

He opened the door, went inside, and suddenly they heard him say, "Oh, my prophetic

soul!"

Kim stepped into the smoke-house, looked past the Doctor, and saw two men lying

unconscious, half into the open door of the TARDIS.

**TBC . . .**

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

The use of a camp kettle with the bottom removed as a connecting pipe to transfer hydogen gas from a smaller balloon to a larger one is historically accurate. In his written report on the use of balloons during the Peninsular Campaign Thaddeus Lowe describes thise event during the Battle of Fair Oaks in detail. While Lowe's report doesn't mention Kim Possible,.that doesn't prove that she wasn't there, does it?

Born in 1823, Mathew Brady was an established professional photographer as early as 1844. In 1858 he opened a portrait gallery in Washington, and many famous people had their picture taken by Brady. As the Civil War began Brady developed the idea of taking his camera equipment to the battlefield, and did just that during the First Battle of Bull Run. The cameras of the day were too big and clumsy to be easily moved about during an actual battle, and the long exposure time needed to make a photograph prevented 'on-the-spot' pictures of troops in action. Even so, Brady took hundreds of pictures of campsites, troops on parade and battlefields after the fighting was done. He also took formal portraits of many politicians as well as military and naval officers. He was even able to make formal pictures of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in April 1865. Mathew Brady and his assistant D. B. Woodbury really were at the Balloon Corps camp during the Battle of Fair Oaks, and they did take a picture of the gas-transferring operation.

Please leave a review if you can. All comments and criticisms are appreciated, and will be replied to.


	15. Chapter 15

**Balloons, Bolts and a Battle**

**Part Fifteen: Where Do We Go From Here?**

**Author's Comments:** As this story winds up (for the time being) I'd like to thank Scott Simerlein of the LaPorte, Indiana, Wordcrafters for his extensive feedback, suggestions and assistance, especially with spelling and punctuation. Mark Lungo for providing assorted comments and suggestions. And the many folks who have read this story and posted comments about it. Thank you, one and all!

Now, Kim, Ron, Rufus, the Doctor and K-9 are ready to continue their search, but there is also the matter of who these two intruders are, and how they almost got into the TARDIS. And just where is the Empath going with the TARDIS he stole? However, Kim Possible is on the sitch, and "Anything is possible, for a Possible," isn't it?

Read on . . .

Kim swept her gaze around the inside of the smoke-house, but there was no sign of

anyone else there. Ron came through the door behind her and stopped abruptly. Rufus

looked out of his pocket and gave a yelp. But the Doctor merely shook his head and called

into the TARDIS.

"Are you all right, K-9?"

The answer came at once. "Yes, Master. The intruders have been neutralized."

"Very good. Ronald, Kimberly and I will be coming in now." The time lord stepped over

the two limp figures and into the TARDIS, followed by Kim and then Ron. Once inside they

saw K-9 resting at one side of the console, facing the door. Kim checked the two men on the

floor and found that they were both breathing quietly and totally relaxed, as though they were

deeply asleep.

"When did these two try to enter, K-9?"

"Fifty-seven minutes and 45 seconds ago, Master. As per your orders I was in position

and ready for any intruders and stunned them when they attempted to enter."

"These are the same Union soldiers we met two days ago when we first came here,

Ron," Kim remarked as she studied the two men's faces.

"Yeah, you're right, KP. Maybe they were looking for some smoked meat for their

lunch," Ron commented. "They were probably doing that the first time we met them, too. But

how did they unlock the TARDIS's door, anyway?"

"Good question, Ron." Kim looked up with an annoyed expression. "You _did_ lock the

door of the TARDIS when we left, didn't you, Doctor?"

The time lord was indignant. "Of course I did! At least, I'm sure that I _meant_ to, and

I _think_ that I remember . . . "

Kim gave a sigh. "K-9?"

"The door was not locked, Mistress Kimberly."

The Doctor frowned in annoyance.

"At least his pants didn't fall down," Ron remarked softly to Rufus, who promptly stifled

a mole rat's laugh by ducking down into his special pocket.

"But even if the TARDIS wasn't locked, how did these two get into the smoke-house?"

Kim went on. "They wouldn't unlock the door, come in and lock it behind them again, would

they?"

"Good point," Ron agreed. "Maybe this place has a back door."

"Let's just see." Kim stepped over the unconscious soldiers again and back into the

smoke-house. Ron and the Doctor followed her in time to hear her say, "Here it is, guys!

Take a look."

The Doctor and Ron followed the sound of Kim's voice around the TARDIS to the back

of the building. There was about three feet of clearance between the rear of the TARDIS and

the inside of the smoke-house wall. Several boards had been pulled away from the back wall

to leave a hole to the outside about two feet high and three feet wide at floor level. Kim went

down on her knees to examine the opening, and then glanced up at Ron and the Doctor.

"These breaks are fresh, and here's a crowbar of some kind. You were right, Ron.

They probably broke in to see if they could find some smoked meat to add to their rations, saw

the TARDIS and tried its door."

"And K-9 zapped 'em when they stepped into it," Ron added. "He's one smart dog,

Doctor!"

"Well, yes, I know that, Ronald. It's nice of you to say so." The Doctor hesitated for a

moment. "You should tell him that; I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

The Doctor straightened up. "Now, let's move those two soldiers outside so we can

take our departure." They walked back to the front of the TARDIS where Kim and Ron picked

up one of the unconscious men. With some effort the Doctor picked up the second man, and

then called to K-9.

"There's a hole in the back wall of this smoke-house, K-9. Please keep it under

observation while we dispose of these two, and if anyone else tries to use that hole, stun

them, won't you?"

"Affirmative, Master."

Kim looked back to see K-9 come out of the TARDIS and head around it to the back of

the building. Then she and Ron followed the Doctor's lead as they carried the soldiers through

the trees until they reached the edge of the grove. After they had propped both men up

against a tree stump Ron asked, "How long will they be 'out,' Dude? And will they have

headaches when they wake up?"

"About another hour, and no, they won't, Ronald," the Doctor replied. "They may not

even remember what happened to them, either."

"Even if they do remember, they might not believe it really happened," Kim said

thoughtfully. "Especially if they saw K-9 before he stunned them."

"Yeah. Who'd believe a machine could move around, talk, and shoot at you, during the

Civil War?" Ron remarked.

"Actually, Ronald, mechanical devices that could duplicate the action of living things go

back a long way," the Doctor explained as they walked back to the smoke-house. "In 400 B.C.

Archytas of Tarentum constructed a wooden bird in the form of a dove, which could fly." He

paused at the door and mused, "I've been meaning to check up on that for some time, now."

"All aboard, K-9!" At the Doctor's call, the canine computer came around to the door of

the TARDIS and went in, followed by Kim and Ron. The Doctor resumed speaking as he

entered.

"During the eighteenth century a considerable number of such creatures were built by

various mechanically adept individuals," he continued. "In 1738 Jacques Vaucanson built a

life-size mechanical duck that would quack, preen itself, stand up, sit down, move its wings,

eat and drink exactly like a real one." As he closed the door of the TARDIS he grinned at K-9

and the two teens. "If Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln were to meet K-9 they'd probably

just say something like, 'Fascinating! What will they think of next?'"

"Getting back to the subject, Doctor, where do you think the Empath has gone with the

stolen TARDIS?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Ron added. "How can we find him this time?"

"We'll use that list of dates and places in American history that you recovered from his

lair, Kimberly. Each one is the place and time of an historic battle; the sort of places you'd

expect to find lots of emotional stress and tension ― which is just what he wants, remember?"

"But how do we know which one he's going to?" Kim replied. "And what were those

places and dates, anyway?"

The Doctor pulled the piece of paper that Kim had found in the Empath's cabin out of his

pocket and studied it for a moment. "The Battle of Fair Oaks, of course. Then the siege of the

Alamo in San Antonio, Texas . . . the siege of Fort McHenry , , , the Battle of Bladensburg

. . . and finally, the Battle of Cowpens, during your American Revolution."

"Pick a battle . . . any battle," Ron remarked in a disspirited voice. "He could hop all over

the place."

"Yes, Doctor, suppose we stop at the Alamo while he goes to Fort McHenry? We could

hop around for ages and still never catch him," Kim said in exasperation.

"It's really simple, Kimberly. The TARDIS can do a quick pass through the time period of

each event on the list, and if another TARDIS is there ― even for only a few seconds, mind

you! ― we'll know it." He grinned at them all. "And once we know the Empath has landed

somewhere and somewhen, we'll know just when and where we should land, you see?"

"Wow! You can do all that?" Ron ran a wondering gaze over the TARDIS control

console.

The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, I just tell the TARDIS what needs to be done, and she

handles the details." He patted the console gently. "She always knows what to do."

"Dude, it's just a machine!" Ron protested.

"Ronald, you and Kimberly rely on Rufus for help in tight spots, don't you?" The Doctor

smiled in a way that reminded Kim of how Ron looked when he had a big piece of double-

cheese pizza to eat.

"Yeah!" Rufus made an indignant sound and then chattered rapidly to K-9.

"Master Ronald, Rufus wants me to remind you of the number of times he has turned off

a machine of Doctor Drakken's and made your mission successful." The robot computer's

voice sounded normal, but Kim had a distinct feeling that K-9 was being facetious.

"Okay! Okay, I surrender," Ron held up both hands. Then he glanced at Kim and

shrugged.

"So, where do we search first, Doctor?" Kim asked, in her 'mission mode' voice.

"We'll take the list in order, so our first sweep will be at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas,

in early March of 1836." He frowned in thought for a moment. "That's when the American

settlers in Texas were in revolt against the Mexican authorities."

"Say . . . maybe we can get some tacos while we're there," Ron remarked hopefully.

"I don't think we'll have time to look for tacos, Ron," Kim said absently as she watched

the Doctor setting the controls on the console.

.

Ron gave his pet a sad look. "No tacos, Rufus," the teen sighed.

As if Ron's sigh had been the signal for it, a loud sound shook the TARDIS and it

immediately began making its 'wheeze-woosh' sound. The Doctor hung on to the console,

and Kim managed to keep her balance, but Ron fell on his back and Rufus gave a squeak of

surprise. As the boy sat up with a bewildered look on his face the 'wheeze-woosh' sound

ceased and the central column of the control console stopped moving.

"What was _that_?" Kim exclaimed as she gave her partner a hand up. "Are you all right,

Ron?"

"I'm okay. Rufus? How about you?" A cheerful squeak answered him, and the mole rat

scrambled up to sit on Ron's right shoulder.

The Doctor flipped a switch and the outside viewscreen lit up. They all stared in surprise

at the shattered walls of the smoke-house, which was now about twenty feet away from the

TARDIS.

"I believe a 'bolt' from a Confederate gun that was aimed at Professor Lowe's balloon has

overshot the target and struck the smoke-house," the time lord remarked. "The HADS

dematerialized the TARDIS, moved it out of the building, and then rematerialized it.

Hmmm . . . " He tapped several switches and dials. "There's no sign of an explosion, but the

solid projectile certainly did the smoke-house no good at all!"

"Great!" Ron groused. "They can't hit a big observation balloon, but they sure can pick

off any smoke-house in the neighborhood."

"What about those two men we carried to the edge of the woods?" Kim asked with some

concern. "Do you think they're all right?"

"Scanning for that now, Kimberly . . . yes, there was no explosion, and their life-readings

are normal."

Ron scratched his head in thought. "Why does the Confederate Army take time to shoot

at a balloon when they've got a battle to fight?"

"From that balloon Professor Lowe is telegraphing reports of the Confederate movements

to Union Army headquarters," the Doctor explained. "That makes it possible for General

McClellan to order troops and artillery to move to any point under attack as soon as the attack

begins." He snapped a control switch and looked at Kim. "By finding a way to quickly transfer

that hydrogen from the small balloon to the large one, you have helped to prevent a defeat of

the Union forces, Kimberly."

"All I did was suggest using that kettle as a pipe. Professor Lowe would have thought of

it sooner or later," Kim protested.

"But it was sooner, because of your timely suggestion," the Doctor replied. "Do you

remember how Professor Lowe said observation time right then was worth a million dollars a

minute?" He grinned at Kim and Ron. "You may have saved fifty million or so by thinking of

that kettle."

Kim considered the matter for a moment and then shrugged. "No big, Doctor; that's what

I do."

"Well, if we meet another such situation I hope you keep on doing it," the Doctor

commented. "Anyway, here we go!"

The Doctor tapped two switches and then moved a handle on the controls. The 'wheeze-

woosh' sound started again, and the central pillar of the console began steadily moving up and

down. "Next stop, The Alamo!"

Ron looked at Rufus on his shoulder. "Brace yourself, buddy. Here we go again!"

Instead of answering, Rufus stared at the door that let to the rest of the inside of the

TARDIS. Then he began chattering rapidly while tugging on Ron's collar and pointing at the

inner door.

K-9 wheeled around to face the inside door and called out, "Warning, Master! Intruder

alert!"

Kim turned toward the door and dropped in to a combat stance.

The door to the rest of the TARDIS swung open and Oscar Diggs walked in, wearing a

look of astonishment.

"This place is amazing!" the boy said in an awe-struck voice. "It's lots bigger on the

inside than it is on the outside. And, what was that bump I felt?"

There was a moment of total silence before the Doctor gave a sigh. "Well, K-9, we've got

another one."

"Affirmative, Master."

Kim exchanged a look with Ron that mixed dismay and amusement.

"Well, it happened before, KP," Ron shrugged. Kim nodded in reply and then turned to

the time lord.

"What now, Doctor? Go back and return Oscar to 1862 and the Civil War?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Kimberly. Once it has dematerialized and started on a trip

this model TARDIS has to materialize someplace before a return journey can be made." The

Doctor frowned as he spoke..

"Oh; it can't make a U-turn, then?"

"No, Ronald, it can't." For a moment the only sound was the 'wheeze-whoosh' coming

from the central pillar as it rose and fell.

"He isn't really your uncle, is he, Miss Kim?" Oscar asked innocently.

The Doctor gazed at the boy with a mixture of respect and annoyance. "Why do you say

that, Oscar?"

"Miss Kim called you 'Doctor' instead of 'uncle,'" Oscar explained. "But I _thought_ there

was something odd going on, ever since yesterday."

"Oops!" Kim, Ron and Rufus chorused.

"Well, you're right," the Doctor admitted. "They got on board without my knowing until it

was too late. Just like you," the Doctor added. "Now you'll have to come with us until I can

spare the time to take you back to the year and place where you belong."

"You mean this box is a traveling machine of some kind? And we're going somewhere

now?" Oscar's eyes widened with surprise.

"It is. And we are. But just now I'd really like to know how you got in here without a

certain someone seeing you." The Doctor gave K-9 a stern look as he spoke.

"Anything is possible when a Possible is concerned, Master."

Rufus muffled a giggle, Ron grinned and Kim smiled. "I'll sort it out, Doctor, and find

out how Oscar got in without being seen. Will it be all right if we use the breakfast room?"

The Doctor gave a sigh, and nodded. "Go right ahead, Kimberly."

As she led Ron and Oscar through the inner door, Kim began, "You see, Oscar, Ron and

I live in a place called Middleton, in Colorado, and we were running to get indoors before we

got caught in the rain . . . "

**The End - For Now . . . **

**Author's Disclaimer and Notes:**

The Disney Company owns the Kim Possible concept and characters.

The British Broadcasting Corporation owns the Doctor Who concept.

The term TARDIS is also copyright by the BBC.

The plot of this story is my responsibility.

Vaucanson's mechanical duck is only one example of the various machines that were built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to duplicate the action of a living thing. In 1774 a Swiss inventor built a 'Lady Musician' that could actually play five different tunes on a harpsicord. It was not done by a music box; the figure really did play the instrument. The owners of these 'automata' would often go on a tour and demonstrate their devices in special exhibitions to a paying audience. During the nineteenth century such events were frequent in both Europe and in the Unted States.

The HADS — Hostile Action Displacement System — is a device that will dematerialize a TARDIS if it comes under direct attack, and then rematerialize it in a safe place..

So Kim, Ron, Rufus and the Doctor know the places they have to look to find the Empath and the stolen TARDIS, but just which one will their quarry go to? Will he effect the Earth's history somehow? What's more they now have a stowaway on board! How and why did Oscar Diggs get into the TARDIS? How will this effect the operation? All these questions will be answered in the next (and final) tale in this story arc . . . but you will have to wait a while until it is written.


End file.
